A simple mezcal-based grapefruit sour was named the inaugural Cocktail of the Year at the 2018 San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC). As the spirit industry’s most influential and reputable competition, the concoctions featured here are made by some of the most celebrated mixologists in the world. Judged by the finest industry experts in blind tastings, the competition sounds like any cocktail connoisseur’s dream job to judge. The panel of respected judges consisted of Kent Bearden, VP of Operations for Saint Marc USA, writer Jack Robertiello and the competition’s Director of Judging, Tony Abou-Ganim.
Mezcal-heavy cocktails have been growing in popularity over the past few years, making their way on menus across the country. Proprietor H. Joseph Ehrmann of San Francisco’s Elixir, a historic saloon, crafted the Pamplemousse au Poivre using Mezcal Banhez, Giffard Pamplemousse Rose (pink grapefruit liqueur), Marie Brizard Poivre a Sichuan (Sichuan pepper) liqueur, lemon juice and grapefruit bitters.
In exchange for his winning recipe, Ehrmann was awarded $500, a sought-after SFSWC Medal, a feature in the monthly subscription service Cocktail Courier and will be featured on the menus at Libertine Social in Las Vegas, Academia in Austin, Texas. See below for the full recipe for the tasty Pamplemousse au Poivre.
Pamplemousse au Poivre (photo credit: Nikki Richer)
PAMPLEMOUSSE AU POIVRE:
2 oz. mezcal
1 oz. Giffard Pamplemousse Rose (pink grapefruit) liqueur
.5 oz. Marie Brizard Poivre de Sichuan (Sichuan pepper) liqueur
.5 oz. lemon juice
1 dash grapefruit bitters
Preparation: Combine ingredients in shaker and shake with ice, then strain into coupe. Garnish rim with grapefruit peel cone filled with pink peppercorns.
