de gustibus
As many of you probably already know, for the past few years I’ve been learning about cocktails. By studying their history, developing techniques, and testing and formulating recipes, I’ve become a fairly expert mixologist, though that title, like most of my other titles (philosopher, writer, independent scholar), is still a bit cringe, no?
Since I started working with tequila, I’ve wanted to come up with my own Paloma. I’ve tried dozens over the years all over the US. Perhaps the best one I had was at a since-closed mezcalería in downtown Los Angeles a couple of years ago. Yes, I still think about it.
Because I prefer dryer, less sweet drinks, I try to avoid off-the-shelf sodas, so I didn’t want to have to rely on Jarritos Grapefruit, Squirt, or Fresca, which are common ingredients in many versions. To avoid unwanted sweeteners, additives, and preservatives, I knew I wanted to make my own grapefruit soda from scratch. So a few weeks ago, after thinking and talking about it for years, I sat down with my ingredients, bar equipment, and a pencil and got to work. After a handful of adjustments over the course of a couple of evenings, I now have something worth celebrating and sharing.
Palomita real
Ingredients:
- tequila — 1.5 oz
- grapefruit juice — 2 oz
- lime juice — .5 oz
- simple syrup — .75 oz
- carbonated soda water/seltzer — 2 oz
Wet shake (with ice) the tequila, fruit juices, and simple syrup for about 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled low-ball/Old Fashioned/rocks glass with ice. Top with soda. Stir to combine.
To elevate the drink even more, replace the tequila with mezcal. Simple syrup is typically sugar and water in a 1:1 ratio, but you should play around with that ratio if it’s too sweet or not sweet enough. Or use agave or demerara instead of white sugar. Or gum syrup adds a velvety mouthfeel. For soda, my go-to brand is Topo Chico because bubbles. I happened to have some habanero-lime bitters, so I added 4 drops to the mixing tin for a whisper of fire.
There’s no need to garnish, but some possible ones to consider include a salted rim, or instead of salt go for a Tajín rim (Tajín is a Mexican spice blend of lime, chili, and salt), a half-wheel of fresh grapefruit, or a dehydrated wheel of grapefruit that’s been salted with Tajín. Perhaps express fresh grapefruit peel over the top. You get the picture. But the basic recipe is all you really need for an elegant cocktail.
¡Salud!
de investigationis
I was recently awarded a short-term research fellowship from the New York Public Library, which I will use for a textual analysis project: the first 100 years of publication history of Józef Czechowicz’s poetry. From August 20-28 I’ll be documenting and notating every single comma, spelling change, and editorial intervention in NYPL’s substantial Czechowicz collection. In Polish. I’m already exhausted just thinking about it and preparing for it.
There is nothing sexy about this kind of work, even for someone once described as “horny for grammar.” A thorough textual analysis is simply one of the first steps toward translating Czechowicz’s collected poems, a much more substantial project that for now remains up in the air as it depends entirely on another still-pending fellowship application.
Although I am open to being pleasantly surprised to find that there have been very few changes or corrections over the years, my experience translating The Story of the Paper Crown tells me not to hold my breath.
If you’re in or near NYC and would like to try to meet while I’m there, I’ll be crashing with Patti and Robert in Room 1017 at the Chelsea like it’s 1969. (Because even in my fantasy world, I know better than to stay in Room 100 with Sid and Nancy circa 1978.) Seriously, though, drop me a line. I’m quite engaging and pleasant despite being 100% an introverted asshole. I, like the Chelsea and the New York Public Library, contain multitudes.