McCarren Parkhouse (855 Lorimer St.) opened earlier this summer and with it, came Park Bar, run by former Roberta’s Beverage Director, Nicol Leddington. Park Bar serves wine and beer from New York breweries and wineries, plus fun frozen drinks and other signature cocktails.
Leddington shared Park Bar’s recipe for The Parkhouse Paloma, a smoky and mildly vegetal take on a classic summer refresher. “What makes our Paloma unique is the house made basil simple syrup and the substitution of mezcal instead of tequila,” said Leddington.
See the recipe for the Parkhouse Paloma below and find last week’s Community Cookbook recipe here.
The Parkhouse Paloma
Ingredients
1.5 ounces of Ilegal Mezcal
1.5 ounces of fresh grapefruit juice
.75 ounce of homemade basil simple syrup
10 leaves of basil
Sugar
Soda
Lime wedge and/or extra basil leaves
Salt optional
Directions
- Make the basil simple syrup by starting with a quart container, pint glass, or any small kitchen container.
- In the container of your choice, mix sugar and boiling water in a 1:1 ratio. (Fill half a container with sugar, and then fill it almost to the top with boiling water.)
- Add a small handful (10 whole leaves or so) of fresh basil.
- Stir until all you can no longer see any grains.
- Let steep for at least one hour or until the syrup has taken on some color from the basil.
- After you have made the basil simple syrup, combine it with the mezcal and grapefruit juice for the Paloma.
- Shake with ice.
- Strain over fresh ice in your favorite cocktail glass.
- Fill the rest of the glass with soda and garnish with a lime wedge or a fresh piece of basil or both! (Salted rim optional.)