Puesto Enlists Master Mixologists for New Menu

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• 1026 Wall Street, La Jolla

Puesto Mexican Street Food is celebrating its first anniversary next month and owner Eric Adler, a La Jolla High grad whose family is originally from Guadalajara, was looking for a way to spice up his drink menu, which heretofore consisted of a few draft and bottle beers, wine and a traditional margarita, frozen slushee-style.

Enter Jen Queen, Lucien Conner and Ian Ward, three of Adler's favorite local mixologists who just happened to have recently formed a new cocktail consulting power team dubbed the Queen-Conner-Ward Collective.

Debuting at Puesto the week of February 18 are the mixologists' spin on traditional micheladas and margaritas. The micheladas are made with Pacifico and come rimmed with a homemade tajin made from chili powder and cayenne, dehydrated lemon, sage, oregano, salt and sugar; a logo glass is included in the price and drinkers can bring it back for $1 off their next michelada.

Queen told Eater that the traditional Red version is inspired by sangrita, the sometimes-accompaniment to a shot of tequila; it's made with tomato, chiles and charred oranges. The Green, also called El Rey de Patio, gets its color from tomatillos, charred jalapeno, cucumber and lime.

For the margaritas, the mixologists got around Puesto's lack of a full liquor license by using an agave-derived product that has a lower proof than tequila but a similar, though softer, flavor. There will be five different frozen margaritas — traditional, strawberry, sangria, mojito and a gingery mule, and down the line, some seasonally-changing varieties since the restaurant's big into local produce; salads are sourced from Suzie's Farm and the cactus for their tacos and bowls is grown at a farm in Valley Center.
· A Bartender Triple Threat [~ESD~]
· Puesto Mexican Street Food [Official Site]