We have Snow Cones in the states but in the barrio, we call them Raspados. They are a wonderful summer time treat. When we lived in Cudahy the Raspado guy used to come around in a cart, ringing his bell and yelling out “Raspados, Raspados.” All the kids in the neighborhood would beg and plead in desperation with their parents for a dollar to buy what would satisfy their sugar craving.

This guy was smart too! He would always show up at 3:00 pm on the dot. How did he know?

The Raspado guy had a big block of ice in his cart and would scrape the bits and particles of ice into a paper cone. We would choose a flavor in a bottle which contained the delicious, addictive high fructose syrup: grape, strawberry, melon, and lime. “Who’s next?” he would ask and we would fight to get the next snow cone.

We visited the beautiful restaurant Fauna in Valle de Guadalupe Ensenada. Chef David Castro is not only making magic with his food, he is paying the same attention to his cocktails.

This Raspado displays his playfulness and touches on a nostalgic childhood memory. It was the most delicious, thirst quenching cocktail that cooled us down on that painfully, humid summer day. Not only did it calm my hot flashes it reminded me of the good old days chasing the Raspado man.

Chef’s David Simple Recipe with a booming not so simple flavor- Fauna’s Raspado

In a shaker mix 2 oz. Watermelon Syrup, 1.5 oz. Mezcal and 2oz. lime juice and pour over crushed ice. Garnish with worm salt.