What can I make with tequila, pomegranate syrup and Rose's lime?

[Fat Guy]

I have a bunch of silver tequila, Monin's pomegranate syrup and Rose's lime juice left over from an event. I have to serve cocktails at a small potluck on Friday night and would like to utilize these ingredients. No triple sec or ginger syrup allowed (I have those leftover too), as there will be a punch at the party with those ingredients. I don't mind buying some pineapple juice or lemons or whatever, but would like to do this on the cheap to the greatest extent possible so I'd rather not buy any bottles of alcohol.

[Corinna]

Pomegranate palomas? (Or Diablos, but they involve ginger ale.)

[thirtyoneknots]

Nothing wrong with Tequila Gimlets.

[emilyr]

I think those together sound really great. Like a South-of-the-Border Cosmo. Maybe top with some pineapple or pink grapefruit juice. Or Champagne/Cava?

[Fat Guy]

Pomegranate palomas? (Or Diablos, but they involve ginger ale.)

Palomas involve grapefruit soda, right? If so, I feel it has become politically incorrect to serve anything with grapefruit flavor to a crowd. Some people taking statin drugs won't touch so much as a grapefruit-flavored cough drop.

[Fat Guy]

Quantity-wise, what I have is about 1.5 liters of Sauza silver tequila (two bottles filled about 3/4 of the way), about .5 liters of Monin pomegranate syrup (half a bottle), and a 355ml unopened bottle of Rose's. I'd like to be able to make 30 cocktails. So I think I'll need something like a fruit juice or a soda to fill out the volume, though I haven't done the math.

[Fat Guy]

Also just found an untouched larger bottle of Rose's and an unopened 1L bottle of Dekuyper Pomegranate Pleasure. I wonder if it's even usable.

[Paulo Freitas]

Usually no pleasure can come from a package that states "pleasure" on it

I know you mentioned no buying another bottle, steven, but if u could get hold of some campary and some cranberry juice you would have a tasty drink. What I would recommend, fiddling a little with the recipe to acomodate the rose's something like this:

1.5oz tequila

1/2oz grenadine

1/4oz Campary

1/2oz Rose's

2oz Cranberry Juice

I think even a dash of tabasco would go well in this, but completely optional

[EvergreenDan]

I found this:

Mexican Sun

2 oz Reposado Tequila

1/2 oz Lime juice

1/2 oz Agave nectar

1 oz Pineapple juice

1 ds Grenadine

You could sub the Rose's for the fresh lime + agave and use the pomegranate syrup for the grenadine.

Still, I'd be inclined shove the Rose's to the far back of the cabinet, squeeze some limes (you'll need about 15 juicy ones to get 30 1/2-oz measures). Or you could use about 3/4 oz of Rose's and 1/4 oz of fresh to keep the sugar balance and use up the Rose's. You can sub simple syrup for the agave without much change in flavor.

You have 1.5 liters of Tequila, or about 48 ounces. You'll need to keep the tequila to about 1.5 oz per drink to have enough for 30 drinks.

[KatieLoeb]

I agree with EvergreenDan. Skip the Rose's and go for fresh lime juice. Rose's is awful. Or if you're feeling so inclined, make a batch of fresh lime cordial, but skip the Rose's. Fresher is better.

You could always try this with Bitter Lemon soda as a mixer. Everything tastes good with that...

[Fat Guy]

I enjoy Rose's mixed half and half with fresh lime juice. I haven't found a homemade substitute that carries enough of the same flavors.

I also found about another .5 liters of tequila.

The reason I'm so disorganized, and the reason I'm stuck with a limited inventory, is that we're in temporary accommodations between apartments so my liquor cabinet -- which was already paltry by eG standards -- is not accessible.

[Corinna]

You could make a nice grapefruit soda substitute with lime cordial and soda.

[Lisa Shock]

I agree, abandon the Rose's.

I see a Tequila Daisy made with fresh lemon juice, a little sugar and the Monin as the dash of flavoring.

[Fat Guy]

Are these numbers in roughly the right ratio for a decent cocktail (I will of course have to experiment and taste):

2 oz. tequila

.5 oz. fresh lime juice

.5 oz. Rose's lime

1 teaspoon pomegranate syrup

soda

Shake with ice, pour, top with soda

[EvergreenDan]

Katie - Can you drive to NYC and pry that Rosies out of Steven's hands?

Would you put ketchup on homemade pasta, just because you are out of fresh-made marinara?

[Fat Guy]

I recommend JAZ's article on the gimlet, Any Other Name, for an interesting discussion of Rose's lime.

[Fat Guy]

Made a sample cocktail and adjusted a little to add simple syrup:

2 oz. tequila

.5 oz. fresh lime juice

.5 oz. Rose's lime

.5 oz. simple syrup

1 teaspoon pomegranate syrup

soda

Shake with ice, pour, top with soda, stir a little with spoon, garnish with a lime wedge

[thirtyoneknots]

Katie - Can you drive to NYC and pry that Rosies out of Steven's hands?

Would you put ketchup on homemade pasta, just because you are out of fresh-made marinara?

I recommend JAZ's article on the gimlet, Any Other Name, for an interesting discussion of Rose's lime.

Yeah, Rose's is definitely a different thing alltogether, and fresh lime should not, imo, be viewed as a substitute. The unfortunate abuse many drinks have recieved due to Rose's ready availability shouldn't have us condemning it wholesale.

[KatieLoeb]

Dan:

I think I'm too late to pry it out of his hands.

I'm not condemning Rose's wholesale, just remarking that once you've had the fresher tasting homemade alternative it's hard to go back to the lime flavored Pledge. That is all.

Steven - the usual 1:1 balance of sweet to sour works with fresh citrus (lemon or lime) and simple syrup. Rose's being already pre-sweetened makes me question the balance in the final drink with the proportions you've given. Especially if the Monin syrup is sweet as well. I still think you need something to tip the balance toward a "drier" drink. Like adding tonic or bitter lemon, a splash of dry vermouth, more fresh citrus, less simple, etc. Make sense?

Edited March 19, 2011 by KatieLoeb (log)

[Fat Guy]

When I made a test cocktail I had to add simple to get it to a desirable sweet-tart balance. I was surprised I had to do that, but I did. I think my fresh lime juice was very tart and concentrated. As it was, I knew I was pouring for a non-cocktailian audience, which in my experience means you have to go a little sweeter than the eG preference would be.

Last night went well, I thought. I don't usually mix so many of the same cocktail, and I can't believe how poor my hand-eye coordination is. I made such a mess of the "bar" area. By the middle of the evening my hands were sticky and my shoulder was killing me.

Here I am at my little bar (courtesy of someone else's cell phone -- note the Wailing Wall in the background):

I don't have a jigger that has 2 ounces on one side and .5 ounces on the other side, which would have been ideal for this recipe. I'm not even sure one exists. But I noticed yesterday that my new set of stainless egg cups look just like lopsided jiggers. I measured and, can you believe it, 2 ounces on one side and .5 on the other.

I packed everything up in a rolling cart borrowed from my mother, and also had a bag of deviled eggs (our food contribution to the potluck). Here they are waiting for the M5 bus:

[Fat Guy]

Incidentally, I named the cocktail "PNO." This was for a parents'-only party for our son's kindergarten class parents, aka Parents' Night Out.

[EvergreenDan]

Steven, you might enjoy the defense of Rose's Lime Cordial in current May 31, 2011 issue of Wine Spectator (p.30) about the Gimlet.

[Tri2Cook]

As it was, I knew I was pouring for a non-cocktailian audience, which in my experience means you have to go a little sweeter than the eG preference would be.

I've already made peace with not caring what's commonly accepted as correct, what's cool, what others think something should be, etc. and with not feeling the need to explain when I part from those conventions. I eat my steak cooked the way I like it. I salt my food the way I like it. Why shouldn't I mix my drinks so they taste good to me?

Disclaimer: I'm not discounting the opinions of those much more experienced in the cocktail world than myself. I'm just making a case for personal preference over convention.

[Mjx]

Pomegranate palomas? (Or Diablos, but they involve ginger ale.)

Palomas involve grapefruit soda, right? If so, I feel it has become politically incorrect to serve anything with grapefruit flavor to a crowd. Some people taking statin drugs won't touch so much as a grapefruit-flavored cough drop.

I see you've got bunches of responses from people who actually know something about cocktails, but in the future, you might want to consider Chinotto as a replacement for grapefruit soda: Although it has a more... commanding presence, it's citrus soda (bitter orange), not too sweet, has decent complexity, including a bitter note, and can be found (unless it's changed a good deal) naturally, rather than artificially flavoured. Should be pretty good with the other ingredients you have there, too.

Or Bitter Lemon?

[EvergreenDan]

I recently found Chinotto in Boston at Martignettis on Soldier's Field Rd. That was the first that I've seen of it. It's certainly not kid soda. ;-) A bit sweet straight, I sometimes add some seltzer and maybe lemon or lime. Nice summery non-alcoholic drink. I'd be interested to hear any worthwhile cocktails that use it. You could obviously make a gin and "tonic" with it.

It's a cousin of Sanbitter. The only cocktail that I know that uses Sanbitter is the Gunshop Fizz (which I love).