Clarified Salted Paloma

The thing about minimalism is that it's all about deception.  What you think is simple is actually quite complex, and there in lies the magic.  I don't think I would ever call myself a minimalist - I like things (cough - glassware) too much - but I do like when a concept is followed through relentlessly.

Which brings me to the Clarified Salty Paloma.  I first saw this cocktail on Instagram, posted by Max Reis (@beerghost), who works at Gracias Madre in Los Angeles.  He developed this minimalist take on the Paloma and kindly shared the recipe with me, and now I share it with you.

It should be noted that this cocktail was designed to utilize day old grapefruit juice and grapefruit peels from his bar, making it even more sustainably minded and awesome.

It should be noted that clarified cocktails don't make a ton of rational sense for the home bartender - it's quite a lot of work for an aesthetically driven drink - but if you make cocktails for the internet like I do suddenly it makes sense to dive down the clarified cocktail rabbit hole.

Clarified cocktails make a whole lot more sense in today's Covid world, where bartenders and bar owners around the world are scrambling to make to-go cocktails.  The problem lies with citrus juice.  Once juiced, the flavor goes bad after 36-48 hours.  Clarification and "cordialization" are preservation techniques, thereby making the citrus ingredients shelf stable, and in turn, those bottled or canned cocktails with citrus in them have a longer shelf life.

6% Lime Acid

I also spoke with Mike Capoferri  (@mfcapoferri) of Thunderbolt in Los Angeles about how to use citric acid to balance cocktails.  He makes cordials out of lemon and lime juice to make them shelf stable, but uses a centrifuge to clarify the juice, which he then boils with sugar and citrus peels, and then balances using citric acid.  The key to citric acid is understanding that it does not impart flavor, but instead acidity.  Thunderbolt makes a house "Lime Acid" that is a blend of water, citric acid, and malic acid, which is the same one used by Reis in his grapefruit cordial recipe.

After talking with both Reis and Capoferri all I wanted to do is buy a centrifuge, but unfortunately the Spinzall is sold out.  So I turned to Dave Arnold on his technique to clarify citrus using Agar powder.  You can read his full blog post here, but this was the recipe I used:

Clarified Grapefruit Juice

400 grams Grapefruit Juice (Room Temp)
100 grams Water
1.5 grams Agar Powder
Nut Bag
Coffee Filters

Boil the water and Agar powder in a small pot on medium to high heat.  Once the agar is "hydrated" add the juice and whisk.  Place pot in an ice bath to set and let sit for a few minutes.  Gently stir the curds, and pour into a nut bag over a fine mesh sieve.  Let strain, and double strain using coffee filters (you'll need a lot of them).

Leftover Clarified Grapefruit Juice

I then mixed the clarified grapefruit juice with Thunderbolt's 6% Lime Acid (recipe below), sugar, salt, grapefruit peels to make the salted grapefruit cordial, per Reis' specs.  It should be noted that this cordial is delicious, and you'll likely want to pour it on everything.  You've been warned.

Thunderbolt LA's 6% Lime Acid
235 grams Water
10 grams Citric Acid
5 grams Malic Acid

Mix in a glass bottle until all the crystals have dissolved.

Salted Grapefruit Cordial
250 grams Clarified Grapefruit Juice
150 grams Sugar
12.1 grams Lime Acid
3 grams Salt
10 grams Grapefruit peels

Bring to a simmer over medium high heat, turn off the stove and let sit for 2-3 hours.

- OR -

Sous vide at 135 degrees for 40 minutes, and then at 145 degrees for 20 minutes (the lowest temperature to reach pasteurization).

Salted Grapefruit Cordial

And finally, we have come to the cocktail recipe!  The Clarified Salty Paloma, as created by Max Reis, modified by me.  My modifications are quite simple: I wanted the color of the cocktail to be slightly yellow/green for aesthetic reasons, and I used a grapefruitcello because that's what I could find in the liquor store.  You can try different types of grapefruit liqueurs here, depending on what you can find at your local.  I love that this cocktail builds on the mineral forward, savory flavor of a great blanco tequila like El Mayor, and the salty cordial imparts an inexplicable viscosity and complexity to what is a traditionally simple drink.  This is in fact a very rad drink.  It's complex and sophisticated, minimal and multifaceted, and without a doubt - delicious.  I realize it's a lot of work for the final product, but I have to say, it does make for a better drink.

Clarified Salted Paloma
Created by Max Reis

1-1/2 oz El Mayor Blanco Tequila
1-1/4 oz Salted Grapefruit Cordial
1/2 oz Grapefruitcello
Top with Soda Water

Build over ice in a saline solution rimmed glass, and garnish with a tiny grapefruit peel.

Note: Max wouldn't have used a garnish - because minimalism.  That said, I'm a sucker for a garnish, so here we are.

I learned a lot through this process, and I hope you do too.  If you're interested in clarifying for aesthetics or for functionality, either way, the god is in the details.  And I for one, am excited to learn a few new techniques.

Cheers!

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of El Mayor Tequila.  All opinions are 100% mine.

Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible.

Tajin Mango Margarita

This recipe is inspired by one of my favorite summer treats - mango with chili and lime.  When I lived in New York City I would always buy bags of chili mango from the street vendors who camped out in front of our offices.  When I moved out west to Colorado, I was able to find chili mango candy, like Vero Mango or dried mango covered in chili powder.   I love the combination of sour, sweet, and chili - three flavors that are also in this margarita.

I made a mango syrup with Turbinado sugar and fresh mango, made from the blended fruit.  It's basically jam and it is delicious.  I shook my syrup up with El Mayor Reposado Tequila, fresh lime juice, Ancho Chili liqueur, and a little bit of simple.  I added a pinch of Tajin seasoning, and garnished it with fresh mango peppered with Tajin and a few fancy lime slices.  I wanted to use a reposado tequila with this cocktail to pair with the cooked mango syrup that has a nice round sweetness to it.  I thought the flavors of vanilla and caramel in the El Mayor tequila would work well with the mango - and I was right.

I can tell this Tajin Mango Margarita is going to be a hit this summer!

Tajin Mango Margarita
Created by Gastronomista

2 oz El Mayor Reposado Tequila
3/4 oz Ancho Chili Liqueur
3/4 oz Mango Syrup*
1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
1/2 oz Turbinado Simple

Shake with ice and strain over a king cube.  Garnish with lime slices and fresh mango.

Mango Syrup

1/3 c Turbinado Sugar
1/3 c Water
1/2 Mango, Sliced

Bring all of the ingredients to a simmer until the sugar crystals have dissolved.  Let cool and blend into a puree.  Transfer to a non-reactive container and store in the refrigerator for up to one month.

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of El Mayor Tequila.  All opinions are 100% mine.

Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible.

Chili Oil Reposado Old Fashioned

I love Chili Oil - and I know I'm not alone.  I always have a bottle in the kitchen, sourced from my local Asian market.  I'm always looking for fun ways to bridge the gap between culinary dishes and cocktails, and my beloved chili oil has become my new favorite way to add savory flavor to my drinks.  

This Old Fashioned is made with El Mayor Reposado Tequila, that hails from the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico.  Their Reposado tequila is aged for a minimum of nine months, and is a dry tequila with flavors of agave, caramel, vanilla, and a subtle floral note.  And let me tell you, all those sweet flavors work very well with spice.  

The Old Fashioned is a perfect format for a spicy cocktail.  It's simple enough to showcase the spirit itself and highlight the spiciness of the oil.  In order to add a bit more depth and complexity to the drink, I also used a few drops of Dashfire Sichuan Bitters, doubling down on the heat.   

I hope you all like this one as much as I do. 

Chili Oil Reposado Old Fashioned

Created by Gastronomista

2 oz El Mayor Reposado Tequila

1/2 oz Agave Syrup

3 dashes Sichuan Bitters

5-6 drops Chili Oil (with some chili flakes to taste)

Add tequila, agave syrup and bitters to an Old Fashioned glass.  Stir and add a king cube.  Gently add chili oil to the top of the glass, resting the chili flakes and a small bird's eye pepper on top of the cube.

Enjoy!

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of El Mayor Tequila.  All opinions are 100% mine.

Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible.

Paloma Sorbet Floats

I'm continuing my summer trend of imbibing only frozen drinks.  It's working out well.

Frozen Palomas have always been one of my favorite on-menu summertime orders, and I wanted to try to re-create it at home but deconstructed into a sorbet float.

The extra benefit to making drinks at home is that you can adjust the garnishes as much as you want - extra salt - yes please - extra Exotico Reposado - yes please - a kick of chili powder - oh, yes please!

The sorbet is extremely easy to make, it requires fresh grapefruit juice, fresh lime juice, and a bit of simple syrup.  Make sure to freeze your ice cream maker cylinder overnight so it's cold enough to properly freeze the sorbet, and when it's done transfer to a bowl to set in the freezer.

You can serve this cocktail in any vessel, but I like the idea of serving it in a coupe similar to a champagne float.  Add two scoops of sorbet to each glass, top with Exotico Reposado, soda water, and then garnish with a sprinkle of sea salt and a lime wedge to make a glass of summery heaven.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do.

Paloma Sorbet Float

2 Scoops of Grapefruit Sorbet
1 oz Exotico Reposado
1 oz Soda Water
Sea Salt
Lime Wedge
Optional: Ancho chili powder or Ancho chili liqueur to taste

Build in a cocktail coupe, and garnish with a sprinkle of sea salt and a lime wedge.  Serve with a small spoon.  

Grapefruit Sorbet

4 cups Grapefruit Juice
2-1/2 Limes - Juiced
1 oz Simple Syrup

Chill in the refrigerator, and then add to an ice cream maker.  Let run for 30-40 minutes, then transfer the sorbet to a bowl and place in the freezer to set overnight.  

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Exotico Tequila. All opinions are 100% mine.

Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible.

Watermelon Tequila Snowcone

We’ve officially entered the part of summer where I want everything frozen – namely frozen cocktails.  This cocktail is inspired by the snowcone variations I’ve been seeing at some of my favorite bars, including Katana Kitten and Dante NYC – and by a classic highball recipe from Rosie Schaap.  Fresh watermelon pairs gorgeously with the main boozy ingredient in this cocktail -  Exotico Tequila Blanco – and the squeeze of fresh lime cuts the sweetness of the syrup perfectly.  Could there be a more perfect summery treat?  I think not.

This cocktail is super simple and makes a delightful boozy snowcone that is delightful on a hot day.  You’ll need to prep the watermelon syrup ahead of time in order to let it cool, and this batch will prepare plenty of syrup for a summer of watermelon tequila snowcones!  Enjoy!

Watermelon Tequila Sno-cone

1-1/2 oz Exotico Tequila Blanco
1 oz Watermelon Syrup
1 Lime Wedge
Lime Zest to Garnish

Build over shaved ice, and garnish with a squeeze of fresh lime, lime zest, and a small spoon.

Watermelon Syrup

4 Cups Fresh Watermelon
1 Cup Sugar

Cut watermelon into cubes, and puree in a food processor or a blender.  Strain into a medium sized pot and add sugar.  Simmer on medium heat until the syrup has reduced slightly.  Let cool and transfer into glass jars.  Will keep in the refrigerator for up to one month.

Enjoy!

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Exotico Tequila. All opinions are 100% mine.

Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible.

Exotic Margarita

Summer is officially upon us, and in turn, so are summery cocktails.  Nothing says summer more than Margaritas in my book, especially when spiked with spicy chili liqueur and tropical flavors.  This very Exotic Margarita is made with Exotico Tequila Blanco, a crisp and peppery unaged tequila made from 100% blue agave.  The fresh flavor of agave comes through nicely in this margarita and works nicely with the green chili liqueur that gives this cocktail an extra kick.

If you can’t find fresh passionfruit in your local grocery store, you can always use passionfruit juice or passionfruit puree, but fresh is always best in my humble opinion.  Cut the passionfruit in half, reserve one half for the garnish, and scoop the other half into your cocktail tin.  Add all the other ingredients, shake, and garnish with fresh orchids and a slice of dried mango.

Exotic Margarita

1-1/2 oz Exotico Blanco Tequila
1-1/2 oz Green Chili Liqueur
1 oz Fresh Lime Juice
¼ oz Agave Syrup
1 Whole Fresh Passionfruit – Half for Mixing, and Half for Garnish
1 Slice Dried Mango

Cut passionfruit in half and scoop half the seeds into your cocktail tin.  Add Exotico Tequila, green chili liqueur, lime juice, agave syrup, and ice, and shake vigorously.  Strain into a margarita glass that has been rimmed with salt and dried chili powder.  Garnish with the remaining half of the passionfruit, a slice of dried mango, and fresh orchids.

Enjoy!

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Exotico Tequila. All opinions are 100% mine.

Thank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible.