Smoky Paloma

When I was first getting into mezcal drinks, a friend told me about a cocktail he had at a local Tacoma restaurant, Moshi Moshi, called the Smoky Paloma. It is made with mezcal and balanced with Cocchi Americano, which is an Italian aperitif wine. When he gave me the recipe, I had no idea what Cocchi Americano was so I had to do a little investigating. First of all, it’s pronounced: coke-ey. It has been around since 1891 and is made of fortified wine that is flavored with Cinchona bark, citrus peels, and other botanicals. Cinchona bark is the original source of quinine, which has been used to treat uncomplicated malaria and some people swear it prevents leg cramps and restless leg syndrome. I’ve heard this about tonic water, which also contains a small amount of quinine. (From what I gather, it’s unlikely to affect your leg cramps but go ahead and make yourself a gin & tonic, just in case!) The Cinchona bark gives the Cocchi Americano its bitterness. Lillet blanc is a similar aperitif wine that used to contain more of the Cinchona bark than it does now. Lillet was reformulated in 1986, removing most of the quinine, to make it less bitter. This apparently altered some of the cocktails that traditionally called for Lillet. Sometime in the early 2000s, bartenders started turning to Cocchi Americano instead of Lillet Blanc for cocktails such as the Vesper and Corpse Reviver No. 2. I will have to experiment with this at a later date. One final note on the Cocchi- it’s fantastic in a spritzer with sparkling water. It has a really light, refreshing flavor. Anyhow, back to the Smoky Paloma!

The Smoky Paloma has a sexy vibe. It’s a good one to enjoy while listening to something sultry, like John Legend’s latest Bigger Love album! Seriously, the drink is very Ooh Laa! I love a drink that has complexity. The smokiness seduces you immediately but then the grapefruit and Cocchi make the aftertaste so smooth and light, you think, “yeah, I’m gonna stay awhile.” Between the smoky mezcal, fresh citrus juice and the bitter, yet refreshing Cocchi, the Smoky Paloma is now part of my regular summer rotation. Hope you like it!

Smoky Paloma

Ingredients:

2 oz mezcal

1 1/2 oz fresh grapefruit juice

3/4 oz Cocchi Americano

1/2 oz fresh lime juice

1/2 oz simple syrup

pinch of salt

Method:

Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake until well chilled. Strain into cocktail glass filled with ice. Enjoy!