Paloma Cocktail

We all love a margarita, but if you ask me, this paloma cocktail is just as good! Made with grapefruit and lime juice, it's sweet, sour, and refreshing.

Ingredients:

• 2 ounces tequila
• 2 ounces fresh grapefruit juice, plus wedges for garnish
• 2 ounces sparkling water
• ½ ounce fresh lime juice
• ¼ ounce agave nectar or simple syrup, or to taste
• Coarse sea salt, for the rim of the glasses
• Ice

Instructions:

1. Salt the rim of the glass by rubbing a grapefruit wedge around the edge and dipping it onto a small plate of salt.
2. Mix the tequila, grapefruit juice, sparkling water, lime juice, and agave nectar into the glass. Fill the remainder of the glass with ice. Adjust sweetness to taste. Garnish with grapefruit wedge.

Mezcal Mule

The Mezcal Mule colors outside the classic vodka-based mule’s lines but still offers plenty of familiar flavors for fans of the original.

Ingredients:

• 3 cucumber slices
• 1/2 ounce agave nectar
• 1 1/2 ounces Sombra mezcal
• 3/4 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
• 3/4 ounce Boiron passion fruit puree
• Ginger beer, chilled, to top
• Garnish: cucumber slice
• Garnish: candied ginger
• Garnish: chile powder

Instructions:

1. Add the cucumber slices and agave nectar to a shaker and muddle.
2. Add the mezcal, lime juice and passion fruit puree to the shaker with ice, and shake until well-chilled.
3. Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
4. Top with the ginger beer.
5. Garnish with a cucumber slice and a piece of candied ginger, and top with a pinch of chile powder.