The perfect cocktail to celebrate the groundbreaking writing of Esther McCoy, whose birthday was Nov. 18th.
Fiction writer, detective novelist, architecture draughtsperson, and finally architectural critic, Esther McCoy lived a rich and varied life. She was most well-known for her ground breaking writing on California modernism and Los Angeles, so the Palm Springs cocktail seemed the perfect cocktail to accompany a post on her life and career. From their smoke filled bunglow in Santa Monica, Esther and her bon vivant husband Berkeley Tobey entertained a vast array of lefty intellectuals and artists from Los Angeles, some of whom were accused of un-American activities during the McCarthy era. I can imagine Esther and Berkley entertaining in their plant filled bungalow as cigarette smoke wafted through the California sunlight. In a nod to Esther, we've modified the Palm Springs Cocktail slightly with the addition of a Mezcal float to add a little smokey flavor to this California classic .
Thirsty for more about Esther? If you missed the post on her you can find it here
The Palm Springs Cocktail 1 grapefruit juiced 1 lime juiced 3 oz. vodka* 1 oz. Cointreau Mezcal float to taste Combine the ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake vigorously until chilled and well mixed. Pour into an old fashioned glass with ice, add a splash of club soda and top with a float of Mezcal. Garnish with a citrus twist, lime wheel or grapefruit wedge. Feel free to substitute a can of grapefruit soda for the fresh squeezed grapefruit juice and club soda.
While in general I find flavored vodka absolutely disgusting, I really enjoyed the subtle flavoring of grapfruit and rose in Ketel One's Botanical series in this cocktail.
Don't judge me.
