Angel Teta’s first forays into bartending came in the clubs of her hometown of Daytona Beach and while attending Florida State. She later took a deep dive into modern mixology while running bars in Portland, Oregon, where a distributor mentioned that an upstart distillery called Angel’s Envy was looking for a brand ambassador. Coincidence of name aside, Teta now travels broadly as the Louisville distillery’s global brand ambassador, sharing her expertise and creating cocktails. One of her favorites is this three-ingredient Manhattan-meets-martini, which includes an unexpected component in verjuice—a nonalcoholic, slightly tart juice made from unripe grapes—that brightens the silky, sophisticated sipper.
“If I had to hang my hat on a cocktail for the rest of my career, this would be it,” Teta says. “I wanted to challenge myself to create a lower ABV, more refreshing take on the classic to celebrate the very first Manhattan Week we created at Angel’s Envy, so the Manhattan-Tini was born. While the cocktail is simple and a bit different, it feels familiar and elegant. It’s well integrated, yet each element remains distinct and you can pick out exactly what’s driving the flavor. You can also elevate the garnish in different ways to tailor the drink’s profile.”
