Photo by David Moore Mesquite Bean Martini $15

Kai at Sheraton
Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa
5594 W. Wild Horse Pass Blvd., Chandler 602-385-5726
wildhorsepass.com/
kai-restaurant.html

Fall is the time for milling mesquite beans – those pods seen as a pesky scourge by suburban homeowners but as an integral source of nourishment, medicine and fuel by American Indians. The Pima Indians, in fact, referred to the mesquite as the “tree of life.”

Keep this in mind while visiting Kai. The clever mixologists here have integrated the mesquite’s smoky molasses-honey flavor into a cocktail, creating a smooth balance of sweet and tart.

The exact formula is this: In a shaker, combine 1¼ ounce Ketel One vodka, ¾ ounce sweet vermouth, 1¼ ounce mesquite bean syrup, ¾ ounce lime juice and ¾ ounce ruby red grapefruit juice. Shake or stir, strain into a martini glass and garnish with a mesquite bean pod.

Enjoy it and marvel how desert plants, fascinating and beautiful, can sustain us in so many ways.