It’s time to rethink horchata. For decades, the sweetened rice-and-nut milk has been trickling into the United States through scattered taquerias and Latin American grocery stores. Now, it’s appearing at restaurants all over the South—and not just alongside tacos and tortas, either. From the Mason-Dixon line to the Mexican border, chefs and bartenders are dishing out horchata-soaked desserts and blending the nutty beverage into rich and pearly cocktails. Read more.

Courtesy of Lucy's Fried Chicken

Horchata
Anthony Lamas, Seviche, Louisville, Kentucky

Makes 5 cups


⅓ cup long-grain white rice
, uncooked
1 cup almonds

1 cinnamon stick

⅓ tsp. grated nutmeg
2 cups sugar

Pulverize the rice and almonds in a molcajete, spice grinder, or blender. Work in batches, grinding ingredients into a fine powder. Add rice and almonds to a large mason jar with cinnamon stick and nutmeg, and then add 3 cups of hot water. Allow mixture to cool, put the lid on the mason jar, and let it sit out on the counter for 24 hours.

The next day, pour the mixture into a blender. Add in 2 cups cold water and blend on high until smooth. Line a mesh strainer with 2 layers of cheesecloth, set the strainer over a pitcher or large mason jar, and slowly pour the mixture through. Again, work in batches. Discard the leftover pulp. Stir in the sugar. If using a mason jar, replace the lid and shake the mixture to combine. Serve chilled.

Photo by Jesse Hendrix-Inman

Leche de la Madre
William Schulte, Lucy’s Fried Chicken, Austin, Texas

1 oz. El Jimador silver tequila
½ oz. Laird's Applejack
1½ oz. apple cider
1½ oz. horchata
Ground cinnamon, for garnish
Orange slice, for garnish

Mix ingredients in a shaker and stir. Serve in a pint glass over ice and top with a shake of cinnamon and a fresh orange slice.