While working at Broadway by Amar Santana, mixologist Jade Bustamante and chef de
cuisine Richie Ramirez were challenged to create a cocktail for the 2024 Heirloom Bean
Encuentro.

The excitement and passion of Delilah Snell, owner of Alta Baja Market in Santa Ana,
convinced the pair to mix and serve 200 drinks each round of the event.
For Bustamante, that meant finding a way to serve cocktails with good texture, without
shaking or zhuzhing them per order.

“The thing that was torturing my soul with this event was that I needed beautiful
viscosity for the cocktail, or I would simply pass away— I wouldn't be okay,” says
Bustamante. “When you're making drinks for a large group of people, you have to be creative with the execution so that it doesn't get too overly watered down. The texture is the first thing to go when it comes to compromising the integrity by accommodating volume.”

The secret ingredient to achieving that was right there, in front of their eyes: beans.
“We were kind of shocked that no one had tried to use beans as an element in a
cocktail for the Heirloom Bean Encuentro,” says Ramirez.

According to Ramirez, by overcooking royal corona beans, you get a lovely puree with a
smooth and silky texture.

The duo explained that “while a lot of people might be taken aback by the concept of
adding beans to a cocktail, it creates a perfectly balanced drink. There is a textural
element achieved by using a soft, velvety, and creamy puree that will make you wonder
why you’ve never considered a bean cocktail before.”

Tepache Gordo

1 oz Mezcal
2 oz De La Calle! Pineapple Spice Tepache (or your own homemade version)
¾ oz Lemon juice
½ oz Simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water)
½ oz Rancho Gordo Royal Corona Bean puree*
Pineapple wedge and leaves to garnish

Combine all the ingredients in a shaker. Add ice, shake hard for 8–10 seconds—strain
into a glass over fresh ice. Garnish with the pineapple.

*Bean Puree

1/2 pound uncooked Rancho Gordo Royal Corona beans

Check beans for debris, and rinse thoroughly. In a large pot, add beans and enough
water to cover by about 2 inches. Bring to a full boil for 10 to 15 minutes. Reduce the
heat to a gentle simmer, using a lid to help regulate the heat, and gently cook until super
soft (yes, overcooked), 2 to 5 hours.

Strain the beans and reserve the cooking liquid. Add the beans and pulse in a blender,
adding a little of the cooking liquid at a time, until the beans are a creamy but thin puree.

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Writing by Lou Bustamante; recipe and photograph by Jade Bustamante

We are thrilled to have Lou Bustamante (@thevillagedrunk) doing some guest writing for our blog. Lou is a skilled freelance writer and journalist (and certified Bean Freak), with over 14 years experience food writing for local and national publications, including authoring two books.