I love margaritas and all their variations. Thing is, sometimes I want a margarita on the spot. No, I don't want to turn to a commercial "margarita" mix with artificial citrus flavor and preservatives. The wonder about a margarita is the power of the fresh citrus. For me, of course, "fresh" can mean preserved by sugar. And vinegar actually.
On margarita variation is the Paloma or grapefruit margarita which has appeared here:
https://cookingbythebook.com//cookbook-reviews/grapefruit-margarita/
Actually,in Mexico the Paloma is often just grapefruit-flavored soda mixed with tequila. I have a better idea, one with intensified flavor. Yesterday, I posted a recipe for a Grapefruit Shrub, made by muddling peeled grapefruits with sugar, then adding vinegar and even some peppercorns. It's a three-day process to make, but you end up with a quart that can be stored in your refrigerator for months. It won't last that long, I assure you.. One taste of this Grapefruit Shrub Margarita and you'll be putting more grapefruits on your shopping list.
In this recipe, I suggest equal amounts of shrub and tequila. Suzen found it too sweet, so you might wish to add relatively more tequila. There is no orange flavor liqueur in this recipe, but you can certainly include some to add one more flavor dimension. Personally, I like just the shrub with it's vinegar overtones smacking against the smokey flavor of the tequila. My silver tequila suggestion offers light smoke but you can go anejo and achieve even more smoke intensity.
Grapefruit Shrub Margarita
Yield: 1 cocktail
Ingredients:
- 2 ounces grapefruit shrub
- 2 ounces silver tequila
- Ice
- Salt or sugar, optional
Preparation:
Put the grapefruit shrub and tequila in a cocktail shaker. Add the ice, shake until quite chilled, then pour into an appropriate glass. If you wish, rim the glass with salt or sugar.