Prickly Pear Shrub Cocktail
Move over tequila, there is a new spirit in town. Well, mezcal isn’t new, but we’ve fallen in love. Mezcal has a powerful, smoky and complex flavor and isn’t for the faint of heart. Suffice to say, we love it. During a friend’s 40th birthday trip to Isla Holbox in Mexico in 2019, we fell in love with the grapefruit, lime, mezcal combo. Think, beach, sand, ocean, drink in hand.
Fast forward to 2020. We thought we’d infuse a little bit of the desert southwest into this combo and perfected this cocktail while quarantining at home. Fresh grapefruit juice, lime, sugar, prickly pear shrub, and a salted rim combine to make this visually appealing (and delicious) cocktail, thank you very much. It’s a strong one and meant to be enjoyed in the sun (or shade), preferably on a beach, but your back patio, deck, stoop, or even couch will do. Just make sure the sun is out. Enjoy.
Takes: 5 minutes
Serves 1 (makes one 6 oz cocktail)
2 oz mezcal (VIDA de San Luis Del Rio is a good one for mixing and available at most liquor stores. You can alternatively use a reposado if you’d prefer to use tequila instead of mezcal)
2 oz freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
1 oz simple syrup (or agave)
½ oz prickly pear shrub (we are addicts of Desert Forager’s Prickly Pear Shrubs)
Desert Provisions Sonoran Sea Salt, for rim
Cut all citrus in half and juice. Mix all ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake rigorously. Using half of one lime, rub on rim of glass to coat. Rim glass in Sonoran Sea Salt. Add ice cubes to glass to fill. Pour shaken cocktail through strainer into glass.
Sip and enjoy.
Cook's notes: We are serious addicts of Desert Forager’s Prickly Pear Shrubs. You can find them at select stores throughout Tucson or you can order online. Our favorites for this cocktail are the ones with orange and grapefruit. While we recommend using Desert Forager, you can sub in other fruit shrubs as well to get the tangy vinegar taste that completes this cocktail.
What’s shrub you ask? Shrubs are drinking vinegars made of fruit, sugar, and vinegar. Typically, the fruit is macerated in sugar to release juices and then mixed with vinegar. Voila. Anyway… they are a delicious addition to drinks or non-alcoholic beverages too.
