On this week’s episode of Bar Side Jive we continue my summer cocktail series. I honestly believe that ANYONE has the ability to make a great cocktail. If I can do it, you can too. I’ve successfully had three cocktails on the show, all being praised in the studio. And again, I am not a bartender!
This week, I wanted to take a cocktail that I not only love, but I feel is underrated and give it my own Tipsy Gypsy twist—The Paloma.
Your traditional Paloma is a mixture of silver tequila, lime juice, and grapefruit soda. In the U.S. you can find bartenders making it with mixers like Squirt or Fresca.
So what can take a cocktail from good to great? Fresh juices. Although it’s extremely convenient to pop open a can of juice you can grab from the grocer, it completely changes the overall flavor of your cocktail. Not to mention, those juices are full of additives, extra sugars, dyes, and preservatives that we could all do without. When it comes to a classic, simple cocktail like the Paloma, I can’t recommend enough using fresh lime juice at the very least. You can easily find a reliable citrus juicer for under $10 that will make it even easier than hand juicing.
This weeks cocktail is a Blood Orange Paloma
1oz Silver Tequila
1oz Fresh Grapefruit Juice
.25 oz Fresh Lime Juice
4 oz Blood Orange Italian Soda
Yes, this version of the cocktail may require a little more work with two fresh juices, but I promise you the end result is deliciously rewarding.
If you have access to real blood oranges, you could even make your own “soda” by mixing fresh 1oz Blood Orange juice, 2 TBS simple syrup, and club soda.
JUST THE TIP
This week’s bar tip comes straight from a poll I took with bartenders. This landed in one of their biggest pet peeves. It sounds simple, almost even baffling when said out loud, but this week’s tip is know what you want when you walk up to the bar.
So many times customers walk up to a crowded bar with no idea of what they want after waiting in line. This not only slows down the bartenders, delaying other’s drinks, but slows down their money. I always encourage trying new drinks, but I recommend this during slower times of day when you can have a conversation with your server about different cocktails and flavor profiles.
LIFE BEHIND BARS
My story for you this week comes from me enjoying a Sunday Funday at a bar that has a pool on their patio. This particular day it was hot, sunny, the DJ was jamming, the pool was packed, and the frozen concoctions were flowing. One lovely young woman was in the pool dancing, having fun, laughing, when she spilled her entire freshly poured frozen cocktail. The mixture itself floated on the top of the pool water. She simply grabbed her straw out of her empty glass, and popped that into the frozen glacier atop the dirty pool water. She began to sip in a true effort to not waste her drink. Needless to say, I’ve never been able to look at this particular pool again, let alone get a quick queasy stomach every time I see a frozen drink. Word to the wise, don’t try and drink spilled cocktails.
TOP SHELF EVENTS
The event that I recommend this week is actually an on-going event in Dallas. It is known as “The Margarita Mile” It is 20 bars and restaurants all praised for a specific margarita at that establishment.
You can download the Margarita Mile app and see all participating locations, details on the margaritas, test your margarita knowledge, and even find the perfect food pairing with those famous tequila cocktails. You can find more information at Visit Dallas.
As always you can listen or watch this week’s segment HERE. Make sure to follow me on instagram at @ItsTheTipsyGypsy and my lovely cohost DC @BarSideJive
DC and I will both be at Outlaw Cider in Grapevine, Texas this Saturday June 22nd for the Cigars & Cider event. The event is $20 gets you a Cigar from Ole Grapevine Cigar & Tobacco , Pint of Cider, and a chance to win a drone! Event is 2-5pm and you can catch me there from 2-3pm.
