Chef Thomas Kelly got his first taste of barbecue by growing up helping his “pitmaster” father cook it for guests. His enterprising spirit was evident already at age 14, when he bought a food dehydrator to make and sell his own beef jerky, and a love for hospitality carried him through his studies at Colorado University, where he made from scratch pizzas and pies for friends. In 2000 he headed to New York City for internships at Craft and Hearth, and six years later he decided to enroll in NYU’s Stern School of Business with a focus on entrepreneurship. Upon receiving his MBA, Kelly teamed up with his business partner David Schillace for Mexicue: a food truck concept showcasing Mexican cuisine with Southern American BBQ. Since then, the duo has opened several locations throughout New York, including their most recent Nomad space, complete with 70 types of bourbon, tequila and mezcal — and $2 Happy Hour Fireball shots. Here, we chat with Kelly about the tequila you should be drinking, the cocktail he takes most pride in, and the writer he wants to share a drink with.

BoozeMenus: How did you go about creating the drinks menu for Mexicue?

Thomas Kelly: We wanted to create really good quality drinks using fresh ingredients that played on the Southern American BBQ and Mexican concept, so we went through many of the classic Southern bourbon drinks and Mexican tequila cocktails and put fun twists on them.

BM: What was the first drink you knew you'd be offering there, and why?

TK: Our Spiked Palmero was the first drink we nailed. It is a spin on our house non-alcoholic beverage, an Arnold Palmer made with fresh lime juice and iced tea. We added bourbon and fresh mint simple syrup.

BM: Which bourbon are you most stoked about featuring?

TK: Kings County — this is a local distillery in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. We love working with local partners as much as possible. And they have a phenomenal product.

BM: Which tequila should people be sure to try?

TK: Dulce Vita Extra Aged. It’s aged in Napa valley wine barrels giving it a really unique flavor.

BM: What should folks know about pairing spirits with your specific style of cuisine —Mexican BBQ?

TK: Nothing too complicated — we just tell people to order what they love to eat and drink. It all works very well together.

BM: What drink on the list has your name and drinking style written all over it?

TK: Personally, the Bourbon Sazarac. I love subtle spins on the classics, so we use bourbon for this sazarac and a twist of lime rather than lemon. We also do a spray of this unbelievable absinthe called Meadow of Love, produced in upstate New York.

BM: Talk to us about Fireball. What inspired you to include this on the menu? Do you have any memorable stories about it?

TK: This idea came together while working on a spin on our barbecue sauce, oddly enough. We were doing an event, and I wanted to do a barbecue sauce laced heavily with tequila infused cinnamon and chili. We did the necessary taste tests while making the barbecue sauce and realized it was a pretty delicious tequila infusion on its own.

BM: Where do you find inspiration?

TK: All over the place — other barbecue and Mexican restaurants, cookbooks, experimenting at home, and so on.

BM: If you could have a cocktail with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be, where would it be, and what would the drink be?

TK: A daiquiri with Hemingway in Key West.

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By Nicole Schnitzler

(Photos from left: Bootleg by Alex Stein; Chef Thomas Kelly courtesy of Mexicue Kitchen & Bar; Interior by Alex Stein)