Light, Tart, Smoky Liquid Sunshine
Whether you’ve got a warm afternoon to bask in while you sip, or are just longing for one, this mezcal paloma cocktail recipe is sure to set you right. Even though it might sound a bit elaborate, once you’ve gathered the cocktail ingredients, it’s as breezy to whip up as it is to drink. It’s a drink worth gathering friends for—the recipe scales up pretty easily— but if you’re making one just for yourself, that’s great too! It needs no accompaniment beyond maybe some really good potato or tortilla chips (and, if you’re up for it, some homemade guacamole, too) and good company (even if the company you crave most is just your own!).
All Of Your Cocktail Questions, Answered.
Like we mentioned, this drink combines a few classic cocktails; a paloma and a sour. But, we’re actually also riffing on the paloma, and using it as an inspiration rather than a strict guide. Still, if you’re curious about cocktails, you might like to know a bit more about what influences were at work on us as we created this grapefruit sour cocktail recipe:
What’s a sour cocktail? A sour is a category of cocktails that is pretty broad. A whiskey sour is a classic example of a sour cocktail, as it’s comprised of three things: a spirit, some citrus juice and a sweetener. Sometimes, sour cocktails contain egg whites—like this grapefruit mezcal cocktail recipe! The addition of egg white makes sour cocktails frothy.
What’s a paloma cocktail? A paloma is a type of sour, and it’s one of our favorite classic cocktails. A paloma is super simple—just fresh grapefruit juice, lime juice, blanco tequila, simple syrup and a little seltzer for fizz.
What is mezcal? Mezcal is a spirit made in Mexico from the agave plant, and in fact, tequila is technically a type of mezcal! But mezcal encompasses a much more broad array of spirits made from agave than tequila (which is only made from blue agave). Mezcal can be made from many different varieties of agave, and to be allowed to label their spirits as “mezcal”, distillers must get approval from the Consejo Regulador del Mezcal, which is a government-run organization that regulates mezcal production.
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make This Grapefruit & Mezcal Paloma Recipe
You can buy simple syrup at most liquor stores these days—look for it near the mixers and garnishes—but it’s super easy to make yourself. Just combine equal parts water and sugar in a saucepan, and warm it until the sugar has dissolved. It’ll keep in the fridge for about a month. Other than simple syrup, everything else can be found at a regular old liquor or grocery store:
Grapefruit
Mezcal
Simple syrup
Club soda
Egg white
Angostura bitters
How To Make The Best Grapefruit Cocktail You’ve Ever Tasted
With fresh grapefruit juice and good mezcal, it’s nearly impossible to end up with a bad drink. Truly! Tart-sweet grapefruit juice and that smoky, fiery hit of mezcal are a combo that just cannot help but be interesting and complex—the kind of flavors that keep you coming back for just one more sip. And then another. And another. Here’s how to make this paloma-inspired sour cocktail:
Use an open flame from your gas stove (or kitchen torch, or broiler) and a pair of tongs to char a whole half-grapefruit and a few slices, too. The slices are for the garnish, so just make them pretty.
Juice the charred half-grapefruit.
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
Pour in the mezcal, grapefruit juice, simple syrup, soda, egg white and bitters.
Shake! Cover the shaker and give the cocktail a vigorous shake for at least 15 seconds.
Strain! We like to serve this in a rocks glass, but a cocktail glass would work, too.
Garnish!
Drink up!
Bottoms Up!
We hope you mix up this cocktail and that it really hits the spot! When you do, let us know how you like it, OK? Share a photo and tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper so that we can see your stuff! Happy eating!
