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Cocktail History
The Lavender Paloma is a spring cocktail that was first published in a 2014 issue of Saveur, an online food, wine, and travel magazine. It’s a variation of the classic Paloma that calls for mezcal as the base instead of tequila and pairs it with grapefruit, lavender syrup, lime, and a unique dried lavender and sea salt rim.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Mezcal: This is the base spirit. We went with Sombra Joven Mezcal for its spicy, fruity, and earthy flavor that has notes of citrus. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Monday Zero Proof Mezcal in place of the mezcal.
Grapefruit Juice: This adds tangy citrus flavors for balance. We prefer to use fresh citrus juice because it’s less bitter than the bottled stuff and tastes better.
Grapefruit Soda: This is a carbonated beverage flavored with grapefruit juice. We used IZZE Grapefruit Soda because it’s very flavorful and is made with 70% fruit juice.
Lavender Syrup: This is a sweetener made with lavender, blueberry, cane sugar, citric acid, and water. We used Floral Elixir Company’s Lavender Elixir All Natural Flower Syrup for its fragrant floral aroma and taste with berry undertones.
Lime Juice: This adds sour citrus flavors. Again, we prefer to use fresh lime juice.
Dried Lavender Buds: These are mixed with the sea salt for the rim. We bought them in bulk from our local grocery store.
Sea Salt: This is added to the rim to add savoriness for balance. We used Maldon Sea Salt Flakes.
Tasting Notes
The Lavender Paloma features aromas of tarry earth and herbaceous flowers, has a refreshing and smooth grapefruit taste with a hint of lavender, and finishes with the deep woodsy flavors of mezcal.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: Although our changes certainly made this drink more palatable, we both found that the lavender flavor still got a bit too lost in the mix and that the mezcal didn’t add quite as much of its signature earthy flair as we would have hoped. It was tasty but not memorable enough that we’re likely to make it again.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐
“We found ourselves extremely underwhelmed by the original take on this recipe. The grapefruit’s alkaline properties completely cancelled out any flavor brought by the mezcal and lavender, and even after tweaking the drink, we ended up with a cocktail that definitely didn’t offend the senses like mezcal typically might but also did not excite them at all. We landed on using a bit of lime juice for some acidity and a grapefruit soda to bring some effervescence and bright flavor to the drink. One thing that was quite good was the inclusion of the salt and lavender rim, which added a sharp salt and floral note to each sip and countered the mezcal smokiness.”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐
“I was really intrigued by this one when I found it because I hadn’t heard of using lavender in a Paloma before. Even though I’m not a big fan of mezcal either, I do like to try it here and there to find out if I’m warming to its flavor yet as my palate develops. Ultimately, I wasn’t very impressed with this drink. My exact words were, ‘I think we found the LaCroix of cocktails because this is so bland.’ You can really only taste mezcal unless you add the grapefruit soda, and even that is faint. And the lavender is really only there in the salted rim. I did like that part, but that’s about all.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from an issue of Saveur magazine.
Mix dried lavender buds and salt in a bowl, then pour onto a plate.
Rub outer rim of a highball glass with grapefruit slice, and roll glass in lavender salt until coated.
Fill highball glass with crushed ice.
Add mezcal, grapefruit juice, lavender syrup, lime juice, and ice to a cocktail shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into salt-rimmed highball glass.
Ingredients
Directions
Mix dried lavender buds and salt in a bowl, then pour onto a plate.
Rub outer rim of a highball glass with grapefruit slice, and roll glass in lavender salt until coated.
Fill highball glass with crushed ice.
Add mezcal, grapefruit juice, lavender syrup, lime juice, and ice to a cocktail shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into salt-rimmed highball glass.
Make It a Mocktail: Use Monday Zero Proof Mezcal in place of the mezcal to try a booze-free version of this drink.
Tools & Glassware We Recommend
More Spring Cocktails
If you like this spring cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
The Parasol: A sparkling wine cocktail made with lemon juice, Lillet Blanc, elderflower liqueur, honey syrup, and a lemon twist
Mountaintop Meadow: A vodka cocktail made with elderflower liqueur, simple syrup, lavender bitters, dry sparkling wine, a pineapple wedge, and mint
Final Say: A gin cocktail made with maraschino liqueur, crème de violette, lime juice, and a lime twist
Golden Chrysanthemum: A brandy and sparkling wine cocktail made with pear liqueur, Suze, and a lemon twist
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