Dragan Milivojevic and the Hellote 

Dragan Milivojevic is bar manager at Bacalar, new Yucatán-inspired restaurant in Austin, TX.

The Hellote is Bacalar’s twist on a traditional Martini. I created it to elevate corn, which serves as the foundational ingredient in the Mayan culture and on Bacalar’s food menu. Elote means “corn” in Spanish; corn is a unifying thread throughout the restaurant, from decor to dessert.

Starting with a base of blanco tequila infused with corn, the cocktail also features Nixta, a Mexican corn liqueur, dry vermouth, Cocchi Americano, saline and orange bitters. It’s then garnished with a baby corn to drive home the corn-fluence. Hellote has quickly become the most popular drink on Bacalar’s menu. 

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Hellote

Course Drinks

Keyword blanco tequila, Cocchi Americano, Dolin Dry vermouth, Nixta corn liqueur, orange bitters

Ingredients

• 1 ½ oz. Carabuena Blanco Tequila infused with corn husks*
• ⅓ oz. Nixta corn liqueur
• ½ oz. Dolin dry vermouth
• ¼ oz. Cocchi Americano
• 2 dashes Saline
• 1 dash Orange btters

Instructions

• Add all ingredients in a mixing glass.
• Fill with ice, and stir for 15 to 20 seconds.
• Pour in Nick and Nora glass.
• Garnish with pickled baby corn on toasted corn husk.

Notes

*For Corn husk-infused tequila
750 ml. Tequila Blanco
45 g. Baby corn husks
5 g. Corn silk

In a vacuum bag, add tequila and corn husks with corn silk. Vacuum seal and sous vide at 140 degrees for 90 minutes. Let cool and fine strain.

Dragan Milivojevic, bar manager at Bacalar restaurant in Austin, TX, created this recipe.