The Midnight Dove

Do you have A Drink? You know, like in movies about young and successful types, characters have ‘their drink’, and they order it again and again. Like Sex and the City and their Cosmos. That really stuck with me.

Okay, it didn’t make me want to drink Cosmopolitans, but it made the idea of walking in to a bar – any bar – and ordering the same drink, kind of appealing? As if you could be so sure of yourself that you don’t even need to look at the menu. You just KNOW what you want.

I tried, maybe for two weeks, to make a Dirty Martini My Drink. It didn’t work. There’s a whole world of cocktails out there, and I wanted to limit myself to one? I must have been crazy. But I do like the idea of having a main drink (My Main Thang, I like to think) that you make at home. And I plan to make this gorgeous drink My Drink this summer.

Inspired by the Mexican classic the Paloma (Spanish for ‘Dove’), this drink is still refreshing, but with a spicy warmth and strength that takes it well into nighttime territory. But, you know what? It’s got grapefruit and maple syrup in it, so if it’s a special day, this has got ‘breakfast’ written all over it.

Midnight Dove

Makes 2 cocktails

2 x 25ml shots of Añejo Tequila

Juice of 2 Grapefruits

1 x 25ml shot of Maple Syrup

A dash of Angostura Bitters

Salt, to rim the glasses

After juicing the grapefruits, you’re left with squeezed halves of the fruit. Cut a smallish segment from one, and use this to wet the rims of your glasses.

Sprinkle some salt (I used pink Himalayan salt) on a plate or shallow bowl and dip the edges of your glass in to coat the rims. Gently shake off any excess and let it dry slightly.

Shake or stir the grapefruit juice, maple syrup and tequila over ice for about 30 seconds. Pour into your prepared glasses, add a dash of bitters, and serve.

This recipe first appeared on Page Five, as part of Kitchenhoarder's ongoing collaboration with luxury vintage haven The Fifth Collection.