Properly Sauced - Mercadito's Vato Loco, The World's Hottest Cocktail

By Anthony Todd in Food on Aug 15, 2011 6:00PM

When we say "hottest" we don't mean scene or celebrity; this is literal. The hottest cocktail, involving seven different kinds of chiles, will blow your ears off your head. If you're a fan of the spice, or if you want to scare your friends, this is the drink for you - the Vato Loco at Mercadito.

Created by the Tippling Bros. and featured this weekend on the Food Network's Heat Seekers, the Vato Loco might be a tiny bit complicated to make at home. The recipe is below, and we've simplified it a tiny bit if you want to try to make it. If you're not up to it, the cocktail will be on the menu at Mercadito the rest of August. Our favorite part? You'll have to sign a waiver before you can drink it.

The waiver reads, in part:

"I am aware that partaking in this activity can result in serious tearing of the eyes, a severe burning sensation on the tongue, bright red coloring of the face, smoke coming out of the ears, and posible fire shooting out the mouth... I understand, however, that drinking 'The Hottest Drink on Earth' will make me instantly cooler than anyone who has not tried it."

Indeed.

Vato Loco
Recipe by The Tippling Bros.

Ingredients
2 oz. ancho tequila (recipe below)
2 oz. pineapple-habanero puree (recipe below)
2 oz. arbol, chipotle syrup (recipes below)
.5 oz. Lime juice
4 dashes Tabasco

Combine all ingredients in a shaker. Shake and strain into an ice-filled old-fashioned glass.
Rim with chile piquin or pico piquin.

Ancho Tequila
Put three ancho chiles, broken in half into one bottle blanco tequlia.
Infuse for 1 hour, shaking occasionally

Arbol Syrup
8 arbol chiles, whole
2 chipotles chiles, broken in half
1 Tablespoon black pepper
1 cinnamon stick
1 quart water
1 quart white sugar

Simmer all ingredients in a medium sized pot for 30 minutes. Remove the cinnamon stick and cool.

Pineapple Habanero Puree
1 pineapple
One habanero, whole
1 serrano, whole
1 tsp paprika

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend to a puree.

And, in case you really want to try it - the Flaming Jalepeno Garnish.

Take one large jalapeño pepper, cut off the top and hollow out the inside. Fill with sweetened, condensed milk. Put a wooden skewer through the middle of the pepper to steady it on the glass.

Float a small amount of of high proof rum (151) on top of the condensed milk. Light on fire.

Mercadito is located at 108 W Kinzie Street.