At Ciudad, it's hard to resist a Caipirinha while listening to bossa nova, and nibbling tapas-style from a menu called Cuchifrito.* What better match for a Gaucho Steak made with Argentine beef than a Bordeaux-like Tempranillo red wine? Or a refreshing Albarino white to accompany Quinoa Fritters (made with the classic Aztec grain) with tangy Spanish Romesco Sauce?

Here's a closer look at the wines and spirits Milliken and Feniger are serving at Ciudad--and at home.

* "It sounds like I should slap you when you say that!," said one journalist. In fact, "cuchifrito" means "little fried things," and the word refers both to a variety of fried snack foods and the window/counters where they are sold in South America.

Cachaca and Pisco are two of the most imbibed spirits in the world, but are virtually new to most of the US market. Distilled from fermented sugar cane, Cachaca (pronounced ca-cha-sa) is close to a light rum or a vodka, and ranks just behind those two in international consumption. Peru's favorite spirit, Pisco, is an un-aged, clear fruit brandy made from muscat grapes. Both spirits have a light flavor and an incredible kick (sometimes likened to moonshine!), making them great for simple fruity cocktails.


Caipirinha
"I am on a personal mission," says Milliken, "to convert every Margarita drinker I know to Caipirinhas." With its intense lime flavor produced by muddling (releasing the oils in the rind as well as the juice of the fruit), who can stop her?

2 small limes, cut into eighths
2 teaspoons superfine sugar
2 oz. Cachaca
Ice
Place lime sections in a muddler*, sprinkle with sugar, and muddle until sugar dissolves. Place in a rocks glass, add ice, top with cachaca, and add a stirring stick. The beauty of this drink is that the drinker will keep muddling with the stirrer, releasing more and more flavor, as they drink.
Serves 1

* Muddlers are sold in premium liquor stores.


Piscorita
Ciudad's most popular drink, this is a Margarita made with Pisco. Pisco gives the drink more of a background bite, rather than the foreground bite of the tequila-based original. Two out of three guests informally polled prefer it.

1 lime, cut into 5 slices
margarita or kosher salt
2 ounces Pisco
1 ounce orange liqueur such as Triple Sec
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup ice cubes

Arrange 3 lime slices on a small plate and cover another plate with the salt to a depth of 1/4 inch. Place a martini glass upside down on the limes and press and turn to dampen. Then dip in the salt to coat the rim. Combine the Pisco, orange liqueur, lemon juice, and ice in a blender. Blend at high speed until smooth. Pour into the prepared glass, garnish with the remaining lime slices and serve.
Serves 1


Mojito
Mary Sue and Susan give this classic Cuban cocktail a twist by using their popular non-alcoholic Minty Lime Cooler as a base.

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves
1 12-ounce bottle sparkling water, chilled
ice cubes
4 ounces premium light rum*
lime slices and mint sprigs for garnish

Combine lime juice, sugar, and mint in a blender. Puree until smooth. Fill two tall glasses half-full with ice cubes. Pour half of the lime juice concentrate and 2 ounces of rum into each. Top with sparkling water, garnish with lime and mint, and serve.
Serves 2

* Ciudad's well is all premium. "If you want all your cocktails to be fabulous," says Feniger, "and for your guests to start craving your drinks, you've got to start with a great well. Even big drinkers like Milliken appreciate the difference between the good stuff and the not-so-good stuff."