At The Penrose on the Upper East Side, they go through a lot of Valentina hot sauce. That's because you can drink it there. “Valentina isn’t too hot and it has great viscosity. It's more like hot ketchup than it is a pepper sauce,” says Beverage Manager Peter Vasconcellos, who spikes a drink with the hot stuff. His aptly named Brazilian Breakfast cocktail has a cachaça base, upon which he layers Angostura, Valentina, grenadine, banana cordial, and lime.
“It has sweetness, fruit, heat, bitterness, and citrus. There are a lot of different flavors all in your face in rapid succession,” he says. Spicy, tropical, and bright-red, the Brazilian Breakfast wakes up the senses, with a lingering zing from the Mexican chile sauce. Diners can keep the Valentina flip-top closed and just ask for a Brazilian Breakfast with their steak and eggs.
Brazilian Breakfast (Yield: 1 cocktail)
1. In a shaker, combine 1½ ounces Avuá Amburana Cachaça, ½ ounce Angostura Bitters, ½ ounce grenadine, ¼ ounce Valentina hot sauce, ¼ ounce Giffard Banane de Brésil, ½ ounce lime juice, and some ice.
2. Shake and strain into a Collins glass over fresh ice.
3. To finish, add a dash of soda water and a lemon peel garnish.
