What: The Corn in the Valley cocktail
Where: Maleza at the Drift Hotel, 284 S. Indian Canyon Drive, Palm Springs
How much: $14
Contact: 888-976-4487; www.drifthotels.co/palmsprings/eat-drink
Why: The delightful subtlety.
A lot of Palm Springs residents these days joke about the seeming inability of hotel projects to ever be finished in the city.
These jokes aren’t necessarily funny—but we know these jokes are, in fact, jokes, because the Drift Hotel’s opening earlier this year proved that it is possible for a hotel to be built rather efficiently in Palm Springs.
Not only has the Drift brought more hotel rooms to Palm Springs; it also brought a delightful new restaurant. It’s called Maleza, and the self-proclaimed “Baja eatery” serves brunch, poolside fare, dinner and craft cocktails seven days a week. I haven’t had a chance yet to have a full meal at Maleza—but I have stopped in for a drink, and I’ve liked what I’ve had and seen so far.
What I’ve liked the most is the Corn in the Valley cocktail. Looking at the ingredients, I expected a rather strong-flavored drink: There’s Mexican whiskey, lemon, corn, cinnamon and Nixta, a corn-based liqueur made in Mexico.
What I received, however, was not at all strong—and I mean that in a good way. The cocktail was full of different and complementary flavors, but all of them were subtle. The whiskey was certainly there, but it wasn’t overwhelming; the lemon offered just a hint of brightness and citrus; and the cinnamon—an ingredient that can so easily dominate—made its presence known, and that’s all.
What about the corn and the Nixta? Well, the drink certainly had a corn vibe—but as with the other flavors, it didn’t stand out. It was just there, in harmony with the whiskey, lemon and cinnamon. The result was mellow, refreshing and satisfying.
After enjoying this wonderfully balanced cocktail, I can’t wait to try more of Maleza’s offerings.
