Running out of love, on a sunday

I'm on the floor, drinking peppermint tea and eating apple crumble leftovers from last night. Listening to the new album by The Radio Dept. Sputnik doesn't like the smell of peppermint or the sound of the music, but he likes that pillow. When I'm too lazy to flip the record over I play it on spotify instead. Browsing pinterest, dreaming about new furniture and carpets. Contemplating whether I should clean the bathroom or not. Wondering what I should make for dinner tonight. How's your sunday?

THE PALOMA / MY NEW FAVORITE DRINK

On our recent Texas trip, we discovered the most incredible drink called The Paloma. We were out one night, while in Austin and I asked the bartender if he could make me a margarita. He said “Yes, but it will be shit. We only have sweet and sour syrup and it’s not good. Let me make you a drink that you will love.” I was, of course, appreciative and agreed. I watched as he mixed blanco tequila, pink grapefruit juice, soda water, and squeezed in fresh lime. He didn’t give it a name after he handed it to me, but I tasted it and was quite happy. A friend later told me that it was called a Paloma. We were hooked and here’s why:

Reason one: blanco tequila (100% agave) does not give you a hangover. I repeat, it does not give you a hangover. At least, in our experience it did not, and let me tell you, there was a lot of blanco tequila consumed on our trip.

Reason two: it’s quite possibly the easiest drink to make. Yes, you can impress you friends at your next get together.

Reason three: It’s refreshing, delicious, and pink, and it reminds me of Dr. Seuss—”The ink he likes to drink is pink. He likes to wink and drink pink ink.”

Reason four: 15 more reasons why tequila is good for you.

So here’s the recipe for The Paloma, my current drink of choice, plus a little Marfa-found addition that makes it ever better!

You will need:
100% agave blanco tequila. We prefer Espolon
pink grapefruit juice
soda/sparkling water
fresh lime
hibiscus rose bitters (optional)
ice

I have become quite the pro-Paloma maker, so I just eyeball, but here is my best approximate ratio. Mix 1 part tequila, 1 part grapefruit juice, and two parts soda water. Top with a nice squeeze of fresh lime and add a few drops of hibiscus rose bitters. Stir and serve on the rocks. Garnish with a lime wedge if you’re feeling fancy.