I created my take on the classic margarita blend of sour, sweet and savory, and named it for my mom, Rita Trotz. Here I’m splitting the sour base using lime, orange, and lemon juices, and agave syrup. Using mixology mad-scientist Dave Arnold’s tip from his book, Liquid Intelligence, I add a touch of saline solution. Salt is a flavor enhancer – try it in pretty much any cocktail!
This drink comes from Kirkland Tap in Sommerville, Massachusetts. The original calls for Cocchi Americano Rosa, but is equally delicious using other vermouths, like Carpano Antica or Lillet Blanc.
Fresh Tart Grapefruit and tequila go together like peanut butter and chocolate, in my honest opinion, and the Greyhound is a simple prep that’s perfect for a summer afternoon. I discovered these at a neighborhood joint, Ziba’s, a few years ago. I had to start making them at home during the pandemic before restaurants began reopening.
This Last Word variant created in the 2010s, it substitutes tequila for gin, pink Fresh Squeezed Grapefruit Juice for lime, and yellow Chartreuse for green Chartreuse, marrying herbal sweetness with bright citrus. This is not the Third Ward drink created in Milwaukee’s Historic Third Ward – an old-fashioned varient using vanilla bean simple syrup for sweetener.
