Risa Weaver-Enion is a professional photographer based in Sacramento, California. Through her company
Risa James Photography, she specializes in food and beverage photography, specifically cocktails. She works with small distilleries, wineries, and purveyors of cocktail accessories to create beautiful imagery for them to use in their marketing efforts. Her book,
Cocktails for Everyday Drinking, was published in 2022 and is available at all online booksellers.
When she’s not photographing cocktails, Risa and her husband love to travel, both within the United States and internationally. Many of their trips have been wine-focused, but they’ve visited their fair share of distilleries around the world as well.
Anyone who wants to reach out to Risa to ask questions about photography, cocktails, or anything else, can find her on Instagram
@risajamesphotography, on the web at
risajamesphoto.com, or over email at risajamesphoto [at] gmail.com. She’s always happy to answer questions and give advice.
This recipe builds on the smoke undertones of mezcal by adding some smoked paprika and a variety of chile products (liqueur and powders). Gimblett Gravels is a wine-growing district in the Hawke's Bay region of the North Island of New Zealand. If you strike two Gimblett Gravels against each other, they emit a smoky scent, much like this cocktail.
TIME (ACTIVE) | 10 M
TIME (INACTIVE) | 1 H
TOTAL | 1 H 10 M
1 SERVING
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
COCKTAIL SHAKER AND STRAINER
FINE-MESH STRAINER
JIGGER
MORTAR & PESTLE (OPTIONAL)
Ancho Reyes is a brand of chile liqueur. There are other brands available, but Ancho Reyes is the easiest to find. It's made from ancho chiles. They also make Ancho Reyes Verde, which is made from poblano chiles.
The Fleur de Sel pieces are rather large, which is why it's helpful to crush them further in a mortar and pestle. They stick to the rim of the glass better when they are smaller.
