Drinks

Classic Cocktail: Spicy Shrub Paloma

A kicked-up version of the Tex-Mex staple

February/March 2014

photo: Graciela Cattarossi

Ingredients

    • 2 oz. Herradura Silver tequila

    • 1 oz. spicy syrup (recipe below)

    • 3/4 oz. lime juice, plus lime wheels

    • 2 oz. grapefruit shrub (recipe below)

    • Sage sprigs

    • Chile powder

  • Spicy Syrup

    • 2 jalapeños

    • 1 1/2 dry chipotle peppers

    • 3 cups sugar

  • Grapefruit Shrub

    • 4 grapefruits, peeled and chunked

    • 4 cups apple cider

    • Vinegar

    • Club soda

Preparation

  1. In a tall glass, combine tequila, spicy syrup, and lime juice. Top with grapefruit shrub and garnish with lime wheels, sage, and a dust of chile powder.

  2. For the syrup:

    In a saucepan, cover peppers with 3 cups water, bring to a boil, and cook 5 minutes. Add sugar; simmer 5 minutes more. Remove from heat and store in refrigerator. (Yields about 20 drinks)

  3. For the Grapefuit Shrub:

    Combine grapefruit and vinegar in a container, and infuse for 1 week. Then, strain the mixture. Before serving, add soda to taste. (Yields about 20 drinks)

Meet the Bartenders: Gabriel Orta & Elad Zvi

The Bar: The Broken Shaker at Freehand Miami

At the beachside hostel that was once the art deco–era Indian Creek Hotel, Gabriel Orta and Elad Zvi craft riffs on classic cocktails, like this kicked-up Paloma. The Tex-Mex standard is traditionally made with tequila, grapefruit soda, and lime juice. Orta and Zvi spice theirs up with a pepper-infused syrup and a bubbly grapefruit shrub modeled on early American mixers.

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