A spicy and refreshing riff on a classic Paloma cocktail.
I am beginning to appreciate tequila more and more as the weather warms up here in Vancouver. I am not much of a tequila drinker, besides occasional shots at the club to celebrate birthdays with friends. This is usually followed by a burning sensation in my stomach and painful hangover the next morning, so my immediate associations with tequila are not entirely positive at this point. Needless to say, it’s not a spirit we regularly stock in our liquor cabinet. Turns out, I have been drinking the WRONG tequila. My partner finally convinced me to try Herradura Reposado as recommended to him by a dear friend. This has been Daniel’s favourite for a while, so when I brought up a few interesting Cinco de Mayo cocktail ideas, we had to pick up a bottle. This minty ginger paloma is our first unique tequila cocktail creation.
Herradura Reposado Tequila
This tequila is warm, spicy, with a pleasant caramel finish. It is lovely to sip by itself, but we thoroughly enjoyed it in this cocktail. Unlike bottom-shelf varieties of tequila, this one did not impart a burning aftertaste after consumption. We also enjoyed it as a highball with pineapple juice over ice.
Today’s cocktail recipe, as mentioned before, was created as part of our Cinco de Mayo dinner. We had been quarantined for weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic and decided to go all out for the occasion. The preparation and planning kept our minds off of the bleak reality experienced by most of the world. In some ways, this is exactly why we love making meals like this, to escape from reality. It feels satisfying to focus on putting a project together, piece by piece, as a collaborative team effort. Creating these meals has brought us closer together as a couple for sure. Now, let’s get started on this delicious drink!
A sophisticated twist for your usual paloma
A simple paloma cocktail features tequila, lime juice, and grapefruit soda. In this variation, we opted for fresh grapefruit juice and spiced it up with fresh ginger and mint. This recipe calls for agave nectar for sweetness, but you could also use honey syrup or simple syrup if you don’t have agave nectar on hand. This is a great drink to make in a pitcher in advance for a dinner party or to bring out to a picnic with friends. You could also top it off with some ginger beer to add even more spice and lighten up the alcohol content (if that’s your wave).
If you’re on the fence with tequila or are looking for a quality bottle for your home bar, we highly suggest Herradura Reposado! It will turn tequila skeptics into believers. Try this cocktail with whatever tequila you have on hand and let us know your thoughts in the comments! Cheers!
Minty Ginger Paloma
Equipment
- Cocktail shaker
- Old Fashioned Glass
Ingredients
- 2 oz Tequila Reposado
- 1 ½ oz Fresh Grapefruit Juice
- 1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
- ½ oz Agave Nectar sub honey syrup or simple syrup
- 10 Mint Leaves
- 3-4 Fresh Slices of Ginger
- Ginger Beer optional, to top up
- 1 slice Grapefruit for garnish
- 1 sprig mint for garnish
Instructions
- Add fresh ginger and mint to cocktail shaker and muddle until the juices are released and the mixture is fragarant. Don't worry about mashing the mint leaves too much, but you want to get all of the spicy goodness out of the ginger.
- Add all remaining ingredients (except for ginger beer if using) and ice to the shaker
- Shake and strain over ice into an old fashioned glass
- Top up with ginger beer, if desired, and garnish with a slice of grapefruit and sprig of mint.
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