{"id":22121,"date":"2025-01-11T03:28:50","date_gmt":"2025-01-11T03:28:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/alcohol\/gastronomista-clarified-salted-paloma\/"},"modified":"2025-01-11T03:28:50","modified_gmt":"2025-01-11T03:28:50","slug":"gastronomista-clarified-salted-paloma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=22121","title":{"rendered":"Gastronomista: Clarified Salted Paloma"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\nThe thing about minimalism is that it’s all about deception.\u00a0 What you think is simple is actually quite complex, and there in lies the magic.\u00a0 I don’t think I would ever call myself a minimalist – I like things (cough – glassware)<\/i> too much – but I do like when a concept is followed through relentlessly.<\/p>\n

Which brings me to the Clarified Salty Paloma<\/b>.\u00a0 I first saw this cocktail<\/a> on Instagram, posted by Max Reis <\/b>(@beerghost<\/a>), who works at Gracias Madre<\/b> in Los Angeles.\u00a0 He developed this minimalist take on the Paloma and kindly shared the recipe with me, and now I share it with you.<\/p>\n

It should be noted that this cocktail was designed to utilize day old grapefruit juice and grapefruit peels from his bar, making it even more sustainably minded and awesome.<\/p>\n

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\nIt should be noted that clarified cocktails don’t make a ton of rational<\/i> sense for the home bartender – it’s quite a lot of work for an aesthetically driven drink – but if you make cocktails for the internet like I do suddenly it makes sense to dive down the clarified cocktail rabbit hole.<\/p>\n

Clarified cocktails make a whole lot more sense in today’s Covid world, where bartenders and bar owners around the world are scrambling to make to-go cocktails.\u00a0 The problem lies with citrus juice.\u00a0 Once juiced, the flavor goes bad after 36-48 hours.\u00a0 Clarification and “cordialization” are preservation techniques, thereby making the citrus ingredients shelf stable, and in turn, those bottled or canned cocktails with citrus in them have a longer shelf life.<\/p>\n

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6% Lime Acid<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\nI also spoke with Mike Capoferri<\/b>\u00a0 (@mfcapoferri<\/a>) of Thunderbolt <\/b>in Los Angeles about how to use citric acid to balance cocktails.\u00a0 He makes cordials out of lemon and lime juice to make them shelf stable, but uses a centrifuge to clarify the juice, which he then boils with sugar and citrus peels, and then balances using citric acid.\u00a0 The key to citric acid is understanding that it does not impart flavor<\/i>, but instead acidity<\/i>.\u00a0 Thunderbolt makes a house “Lime Acid” that is a blend of water, citric acid, and malic acid, which is the same one used by Reis in his grapefruit cordial recipe.<\/p>\n

After talking with both Reis and Capoferri all I wanted to do is buy a centrifuge, but unfortunately the Spinzall is sold out.\u00a0 So I turned to Dave Arnold<\/b> on his technique to clarify citrus using Agar powder.\u00a0 You can read his full blog post here<\/a>, but this was the recipe I used:

Clarified Grapefruit Juice<\/b>

400 grams Grapefruit Juice (Room Temp)
100 grams Water
1.5 grams Agar Powder
Nut Bag
Coffee Filters<\/p>\n

Boil the water and Agar powder in a small pot on medium to high heat.\u00a0 Once the agar is “hydrated” add the juice and whisk.\u00a0 Place pot in an ice bath to set and let sit for a few minutes.\u00a0 Gently stir the curds, and pour into a nut bag over a fine mesh sieve.\u00a0 Let strain, and double strain using coffee filters (you’ll need a lot of them). <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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Leftover Clarified Grapefruit Juice<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\nI then mixed the clarified grapefruit juice with Thunderbolt’s 6% Lime Acid (recipe below), sugar, salt, grapefruit peels to make the salted grapefruit cordial, per Reis’ specs.\u00a0 It should be noted that this cordial is delicious<\/i>, and you’ll likely want to pour it on everything.\u00a0 You’ve been warned.<\/p>\n

Thunderbolt LA’s 6% Lime Acid<\/b>
235 grams Water
10 grams Citric Acid
5 grams Malic Acid<\/p>\n

Mix in a glass bottle until all the crystals have dissolved.<\/p>\n

Salted Grapefruit Cordial<\/b>
250 grams Clarified Grapefruit Juice
150 grams Sugar
12.1 grams Lime Acid
3 grams Salt
10 grams Grapefruit peels<\/p>\n

Bring to a simmer over medium high heat, turn off the stove and let sit for 2-3 hours.<\/p>\n

– OR –<\/p>\n

Sous vide at 135 degrees for 40 minutes, and then at 145 degrees for 20 minutes (the lowest temperature to reach pasteurization). <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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Salted Grapefruit Cordial<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

\nAnd finally, we have come to the cocktail recipe!\u00a0 The Clarified Salty Paloma<\/b>, as created by Max Reis, modified by me.\u00a0 My modifications are quite simple: I wanted the color of the cocktail to be slightly yellow\/green for aesthetic reasons, and I used a grapefruitcello because that’s what I could find in the liquor store.\u00a0 You can try different types of grapefruit liqueurs here, depending on what you can find at your local.\u00a0 I love that this cocktail builds on the mineral forward, savory flavor of a great blanco tequila like El Mayor<\/a><\/b>, and the salty cordial imparts an inexplicable viscosity and complexity to what is a traditionally simple drink.\u00a0 This is in fact a very rad drink.\u00a0 It’s complex and sophisticated, minimal and multifaceted, and without a doubt – delicious.\u00a0 I realize it’s a lot of work for the final product, but I have to say, it does make for a better drink.<\/p>\n

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\nClarified Salted Paloma<\/u><\/b>
\nCreated by Max Reis<\/i>
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\n1-1\/2 oz El Mayor Blanco Tequila
\n1-1\/4 oz Salted Grapefruit Cordial
\n1\/2 oz Grapefruitcello
\nTop with Soda Water<\/p>\n

Build over ice in a saline solution rimmed glass, and garnish with a tiny grapefruit peel. <\/p>\n

Note: Max wouldn’t have used a garnish – because minimalism.\u00a0 That said, I’m a sucker for a garnish, so here we are.<\/p>\n

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I learned a lot through this process, and I hope you do too.\u00a0 If you’re interested in clarifying for aesthetics or for functionality, either way, the god is in the details.\u00a0 And I for one, am excited to learn a few new techniques. <\/p>\n

Cheers!<\/p>\n

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\nThis is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of El Mayor Tequila.\u00a0 All opinions are 100% mine.<\/span><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\nThank you for supporting the brands that make this blog possible.<\/span><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n