Lavender Paloma

Yes, I’m still stuck on grapefruit. And palomas. And mezcal. What can I say? It’s summer time and apparently this is my vibe right now. Also, I bought a bag of grapefruits at Costco so admittedly, many of my recent drinks have incorporated that ruby red citrus! When I was searching the internet for grapefruit cocktails, Saveur’s recipe for a Lavender Paloma came up. It caught my attention as I’d been wanting to make a simple syrup with the lavender in my garden. Herbal simple syrups are a lot of fun and it always feels good to cook with things I grow myself. While the Smoky Paloma I wrote about last month has a few more ingredients, this recipe is actually very simple. It’s made with just grapefruit juice, mezcal, and lavender simple syrup. Once you make your simple syrup, this drink comes together quickly, perfect for a weeknight evening. You can vary the cocktail with your choice of mezcal. I chose Cazul 100 Spadin Joven, which has a nice smokiness that paired well with the lavender. If you don’t enjoy mezcal, just substitute with your choice of tequila. I only varied the Saveur recipe slightly. I used fresh lavender to make my simple syrup. Also, I tried the dried lavender and maldon sea salt rim and really didn’t care for the dried flowers or the large flakes of sea salt. I prefer the cocktail with a lightly salted rim, using basic kosher salt and a fresh spring of lavender as garnish. Enjoy!

Lavender Paloma

Ingredients:

3 oz fresh grapefruit juice

2 oz mezcal

1/2 oz lavender simple syrup (recipe below)

fresh lavender sprig & grapefruit slice, for garnish

kosher salt

Method:

If you like a salted rim, rub the rim of a rocks glass with grapefruit slice and dip the rim in kosher salt. Fill with ice. Set aside.

Combine grapefruit juice, mezcal, and simple syrup in a shaker filled with ice. Shake until well chill and strain into prepared glass. Garnish with lavender spring and grapefruit slice.

Lavender Simple Syrup:

4 sprigs fresh lavender

1/2 cup sugar

Make the simple syrup: combine 1/2 cup sugar with 1/2 cup water in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add fresh lavender sprigs. Let steep for 30 minutes. Strain syrup, discard lavender and allow to cool. Syrup will keep refrigerated for 2 weeks.