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W Aspen welcomes in high-end agave bar Hidalgo

One of the co-founders of New York’s Employees Only, Dushan Zaric, has opened a bar in the W Aspen, named Hidalgo.

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The bar is located in the W Aspen, a high-end hotel in the town’s alpine namesake, Aspen Mountain

Along with Employees Only, Zaric is also the co-founder of Macao Trading Co in New York.

Located in Aspen, Colorado, the concept of Hidalgo is a Tequileria, or a high-end agave bar, where Zaric has thought up a menu of agave-based cocktails that reimagine classic serves with modern twists.

Zaric said the the inspiration for Hidalgo “comes from my decades-long love of Tequila and agave spirits in general”.

He added: “I always wanted to do an agave-specific bar so when I got the chance to do this at W Aspen, I couldn’t have been more thrilled. I’m getting to do all this cool stuff that I’ve never had the chance to do. There’s lots of creativity, lots of great cocktails and lots of great Tequila. We have something for everyone.”

On the menu, guests will find three variations of a Margarita: a House Margarita, a Spicy Grapefruit Margarita and the Improved Margarita Cocktail, the latter of which features blanco Tequila, Cointreau, fresh lemon, lime and grape juices, as well as agave nectar, orange blossom water and a pinch of salt.

Zaric’s signatures that cover mezcal include Cosmic Drops (with butterfly pea-infused mezcal, fresh lemon juice, cardamom simple syrup with Champagne and passionfruit foam) and the Yellow Jacket (with mezcal, St Germain elderflower liqueur, dry Sherry and Yellow Chartreuse).

Hildago
The mezcal-based Cosmic Drops

On the Tequila side, beyond Margaritas there is the Mayahuel Milk Punch (made with Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac, overproof Tequila, chai-infused sweet vermouth, lemon and pomegranate juice) and the bar’s version of an Espresso Martini, named The Death Star (which combines tapatio reposado Tequila with coffee liqueur and espresso).

For those wanting to explore Tequila on its own, Hidalgo offers tasting flights via a Tequila brand of choice – through blanco, reposado and añejo expressions, each paired with a different type of Sangrita.

Hidalgo can be found on the lobby level of the hotel’s Grotto (a speakeasy-style club) and is self-described as having a ‘stylish lounge atmosphere, perfect for après-ski relaxation’.

For more openings, check out this round-up of bars that entered the cocktail world last autumn. And for more on bars in North America, we looked at what the future holds for the region in our Global Bar Report.

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