Salted Sage Paloma

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Cocktail History

The Salted Sage Paloma is a modern cocktail that was originally created by Jake of the Instagram account Little Cantina. It uses the classic Paloma‘s template of tequila, grapefruit, and lime but adds a unique homemade salted sage syrup for more complexity, savoriness, and herbal flavor.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Soda Water: This is a type of water that has been infused with carbon dioxide gas under pressure. I used Topo Chico Sparkling Mineral Water.

Tequila Blanco: This is a spirit made with unaged agave and water. I used El Jimador Tequila Silver.

Grapefruit Juice: This is the liquid juice of a grapefruit. I used freshly squeezed grapefruit juice.

Lime Juice: This is the liquid juice of a lime. I used freshly squeezed lime juice.

Salted Sage Syrup: This is a sweetener made with sage leaves, sea salt, white sugar, and water. I made mine using this stovetop recipe.

Sage Leaves: This an evergreen herb. I used fresh sage leaves.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.

Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. I used the Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Bright pink color with an ombré effect

• Aroma: Fresh sage and grapefruit

• Taste: Initial tangy grapefruit and lime flavor rounded out by savory salt, herbs, and tequila

• Finish: More tart citrus

Kendall’s Take: “If you already love the classic Paloma, you need to try this version pronto. I can just about guarantee it will blow you away how much better the template can be when salty, herbal notes are added to the mix in the form of a syrup. I absolutely love the Salted Sage Paloma; it’s my go-to version whenever I’m in the mood for one of these now and have yet to find another variation that I like more.”

Recipe