Take It With a Pinch of Salt

Birmingham bar, At one it's all about the seasoning in this versatile drink

- EMILY HAVENER

at the recently opened Adiõs, beverage director José Medina Camacho is creating one-of-a-kind drinks that highlight the variety and versatility of Mexican spirits. "It's a misconception that Mexico is just a tequila and mezcal place," he says, and his bold takes on an already bold drink-the negroni-exemplify this variety with multiple Mexican-made spirits.

Camacho's classic negroni includes one of his signature bartending moves, a house red vermouth blend he created specifically for the program at Adiõs. He also likes to use a dash or two of saline in his cocktails. "I think almost every cocktail should have salt," he says. "It's almost like playing with salt, fat, acid." The Enté Tres, which relies on a toasty añejo tequila instead of gin, combines "fattiness from the [coconut] liqueur and then the acid from the Campari, and the saline is just to boost it up a bit."