The Chimayó is a New Mexico cocktail legend built for 5-gallon keg service — tequila or mezcal, unfiltered apple cider, blackcurrant depth from Crème de Cassis, and bright citrus from Top Hat Lemonade Concentrate. A fall and winter program anchor that holds beautifully on N₂.
Unfiltered apple cider is the soul of this batch — it brings a cloudy, orchard-fresh character that filtered juice can't replicate. The Crème de Cassis adds the signature dark fruit depth of a Chimayó; blackberry syrup works as a substitute. Mezcal pushes it smoky and complex; tequila keeps it clean and bright.
Batch Method
- Add 5 liters Tequila or Mezcal to a clean 5-gallon Cornelius keg.
- Add 3 qts unfiltered apple cider.
- Add 3 qts Top Hat Lemonade Concentrate.
- Add 750 ml Crème de Cassis or blackberry syrup.
- Add 7 qts cold filtered water.
- Seal the keg and shake vigorously side to side for 2 full minutes.
- Pressurize with N₂. See instructions below.
- Refrigerate minimum 12 hours before first service.
- Serve ~6 oz over ice. Garnish with apple slices, sliced lemon, or blackberries.
- Reshake before every service period — apple cider and Cassis both settle.
Pro move: Unfiltered cider brings natural cloudiness that's part of the aesthetic — shake hard before service to keep it evenly suspended. The Cassis settles to the bottom; if you notice the first pours are light-colored and the last pours are dark, you need more frequent reshaking. This batch rewards attention during service.
- Seal the keg and shake vigorously side to side for 2 full minutes.
- Connect gray/silver Cornelius "gas in" connector to GAS IN plug on keg lid.
- Set N₂ regulator to 12–15 psi.
- Pull up pressure release ring 3 times quickly to cycle gas through keg.
- Test flow. Reduce to 10–12 psi if pouring too fast.
- Reshake before every service period to keep cider and Cassis integrated.