Fiesta Bay: Death & Co.’s Playful, Sustainable Mexican Beach-Inspired Cocktail!
GARNISH GAMES 2024
CONTESTANT: Scott Ruggiero
RESTAURANT: Death and CO
COCKTAIL: Fiesta Bay
Attention all cocktail connoisseurs! Join us on August 4th at Meow Wolf’s Convergence Station for the 6th Annual Garnish Games. Ten of Denver’s most talented bartenders are competing to create the most visually stunning garnish—and you can get in on the action! Try each of their cocktails at participating restaurants and bars leading up to the event, then cast your vote to advance six bartenders to the live finale. Come watch, taste, and see who takes home the winning title at Garnish Games 2024!
In this video, bartender Scott Ruggiero from Death and CO in Denver shows us how to create a tropical and vibrant cocktail called Fiesta Bay. This cocktail brings the flavors of a Mexican beach vacation to life, combining favorite ingredients and cocktail styles to create a refreshing and playful experience.
To make this cocktail, you’ll need:
• 2 oz Don Julio Blanco
• 0.75 oz Acid Adjusted Orange Juice
• 0.75 oz Tamarind Agave
• 0.25 oz Empirical Ayuuk
• Top with 2 oz Coconut Ginger Soda
Garnish: The Collins glass is rimmed with tamarind salt and is served on top of a beach-inspired blend of dehydrated ginger, coconut, citric acid, sugar, and orange.
Inspiration: Scott’s cocktail was inspired by a Mexican beach vacation, incorporating some of his favorite flavors and cocktail styles. The garnish was designed to be playful and interactive, evoking the experience of drinking a margarita or paloma on a beach in Mexico. The garnish also highlights a sustainable approach, using the waste from making the cocktail ingredients to create a unique and eco-friendly presentation.
The 6th Annual Garnish Games is a bartending competition in Denver presented by DiningOut Magazine and Diageo Brand Spirits, culminating with a live finale on August 4th, 2024, at Meow Wolf Convergence Station.