Winter Paloma

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Cocktail History

The Winter Paloma is a Sips From Scripts original cocktail that was created as a winter-inspired variation of the Paloma. Based on a similar recipe published in Winter Drinks: 70 Essential Cold-Weather Cocktails by the editors of PUNCH, this version calls for smoky mezcal as the base spirit instead of tequila and pairs it with the classic’s grapefruit, lime, and soda water. Instead of muddling sage leaves, however, we added our salted sage syrup for more savory and herbal flavors.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Mezcal: This is a spirit made in Mexico with agave, sugar, and alcohol that is aged in an underground pit lined with wood. We used Del Maguey Vida Mezcal because it has a palatable mezcal flavor with notes of ginger, cinnamon, and tangerine. For a mocktail version of this drink, try MONDAY Zero Alcohol Mezcal in place of the mezcal.

Grapefruit Juice: This is the liquid juice of a grapefruit. We used freshly squeezed grapefruit juice.

Salted Sage Syrup: This is a sweetener made with sage leaves, sea salt, white sugar, and water. We made ours at home using Alex’s stovetop recipe.

Lime Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lime. We used freshly squeezed lime juice.

Soda Water: This is a type of water that has been infused with carbon dioxide gas under pressure. We used Topo Chico Sparkling Mineral Water because it’s light, essentially flavorless, and refreshing.

Sage Leaves: This an evergreen herb. We used fresh sage leaves.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. We used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. We used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.

Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. We used the Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. We used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. We used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.

Tasting Notes

The Winter Paloma starts with scents of grapefruit and sage, has a taste that highlights the grapefruit’s sweetness on the forefront leading into a slight smokiness of mezcal and the herbal flavors of sage, and it has a lingering earthiness and herbal-tinged fresh fruit on the finish.

Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: It goes without saying that Alex loved everything about this drink, and despite its impressive two ounces of smoky mezcal, Kendall also really enjoyed it since the grapefruit and herbal syrup did a good job of smoothing it out.

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Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Although the recipe we found in the book called for a heck of a lot less grapefruit juice and a shaken sage leaf instead of our salted sage syrup, Kendall made the wise decision to update the specifications to suit a similar drink we had already made. This one turned out extremely tasty, with mezcal’s rougher edges being hidden amongst the fresh citrus and herbal flavors yet still showing its earthiness at an appropriate level; overall, it created an extremely refreshing drink worthy of any summertime party.”

—

Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“When mezcal pops up in a template I already love, I’m always a little wary that I won’t enjoy it as much, but I was wrong in this case. This smokier version of the go-to grapefruit drink is quite delightful. We did change the ratio of the ingredients quite a bit by adding more grapefruit and less simple syrup, and I think that’s what made the difference. Otherwise, the mezcal would’ve been too prominent and definitely would’ve overshadowed the grapefruit.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from Winter Drinks: 70 Essential Cold-Weather Cocktails by the editors of PUNCH.

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Winter Drinks: 70 Essential Cold-Weather Cocktails

Hardcover Book; Editors of PUNCH (Author); English (Publication Language); 160 Pages – 10/02/2018 (Publication Date) – Ten Speed Press (Publisher)

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AuthorWinter Drinks

Make It a Mocktail: Use MONDAY Zero Alcohol Mezcal in place of the mezcal to try a booze-free version of this drink.

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Juice Squeezer Manual Juicer.

More Grapefruit Cocktails

If you like this grapefruit-flavored cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:

Blinker: A whiskey cocktail made with grapefruit juice, grenadine, and a grapefruit twist

Pompelmo Sour: A gin cocktail made with lemon juice, Amaro Montenegro, grapefruit oleo-saccharum, egg white, Angostura aromatic bitters, and a grapefruit peel

Rosemary Gin & Tonic: A gin cocktail made with grapefruit shrub, lime juice, grapefruit tonic water, grapefruit slices, and rosemary

De Rigueur: A whisky cocktail made with pink grapefruit juice, honey syrup, and a grapefruit wedge

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