One of my good friends, Jason, gave me a great Christmas gift – Sotol. What is sotol? An alcoholic beverage made from the Dasylirion wheeleri, an evergreen shrub native to the arid dessert of northern Mexico and the southern US. I must stress that Sotol is NOT tequila. I repeat, NOT TEQUILA. It is more like tequila’s cousin. It still has that smokey flavor without all the heaviness. And none of the cat cough inducing, nasty after taste at the end. Some people enjoy it enough to drink it straight. If that’s not you (it’s not me, for sure), try this paloma.
The Perfect Paloma (from Annie Eats)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
1/8 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup Sotol
1 tbsp simple syrup
1/4 cup club soda
Rim a cocktail glasses with juice from a grapefruit wedge and dip in coarse salt. Fill glasses with crushed ice. Combine the grapefruit juice, lime juice, tequila and simple syrup in a liquid measuring cup or cocktail shaker. Mix well to blend. Pour the club soda into the glass. Top each serving off with half of the cocktail mixture. Garnish with a grapefruit wedge.
AnnaShortcakes 
I’m the one that drinks it neat. This sounds fantastic though. I will be trying it for sure.
Blech!
Yes Jason has ruined us all with Sotol!!!! I can’t wait to try this recipe !!!
Yes he has! I have had this cocktail 3 days in a row!
This looks great!
Thanks Katie! It is my new favorite cocktail.
So it’s not tequila, it’s not mezcal, but still smokey. I must try this stuff. Great looking cocktail.
You really should. I never ever drink tequila but I have had this cocktail 3 days in a row. Is this a problem? I think not!
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