Table Talk

Standard Mixology: How to Make 'The Quentin'

For Elijah Pointer and his lovely wife Lili Cuzor, The Standard, Downtown LA is a family affair. He works as a bartender on the roof, (check out his profile video here). Lili used to work on the rooftop where the two first met. She just finished a month-long art exhibition which she installed at The Standard, Hollywood.. Also, Lili's brothers both work at the hotel - Matt on the Roof and Max at valet.

Anyway, the German magazine Freunde von Freunden stopped by Elijah and Lili's LA home where Elijah whipped up a batch of his famous "Quentins," named after a run-in with Mr. Tarantino. The recipe is below if you want to try your hand. But first, Elijah tells us the story:

"A few summers back, I had the good fortune to take care of Quentin Tarantino and the Rza from the Wu-Tang Clan. After a few minutes of chit-chat Quentin decided that it was time for some tequila shots! He turned me on to using cinnamon with tequila. He was adamant about a cinnamon rim instead of salt. He was right--it’s a perfect pairing: the rich añejo tequila with the warm cinnamon! Quentin definitely deserves some credit when it comes to this cocktail."

• 1 1/2 oz. of tequila
• 1/2 oz. of triple sec
• 1 1/2 - 2 fresh squeezed lime
• 4-5 sprigs of fresh pineapple sage
• 3 healthy slices of watermelon
• cinnamon

Place all ingredients into blender and add a few cubes of ice (more ice for a thicker consistency). While blending ingredients, rub a little lime on the rim of a glass. Create a mound of cinnamon on a plate which will then be used to give a cinnamon rim. Dip the glasses’ rim in the cinnamon for a nice touch to the margarita. Pour blended ingredients into the cinnamon rimmed glass and garnish with a sprig of pineapple sage. Enjoy!

Published in collaboration with Freunde von Freunden. Photos by Claire Cottrell.

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