Photo: Courtesy of The Drink.If you haven't heard, there's a serious lime crisis. Drug cartels, citrus diseases, and drought have all played a part in the soaring prices of our tart friends. Yep, even that little juicy wedge in your Corona is basically gold.
This is a tricky dilemma for bartenders. After all, how many cocktails call on the lime? Roughly a lot. And, with Cinco de Mayo only a short week away, there's no sign the prices will be going back down. Many bars, like The Drink in Brooklyn, are offering lime drinks upon request but suggesting their customers switch up their routine orders and try some new libations, instead. Manager Allie Zempel says, "We love steering our customers to our house punches to give them our take on what is essentially a large-format cocktail. The Cormorant is one of our new favorites." While there's nothing we love more than a salt-rimmed margarita, we have to admit this take on the classic with lavender and honeydew juice makes for a surprising warm-weather alternative. Now, hold the lime, hold the coconut, and mix it all up.
Ingredients:
10 oz. tequila (Zempel uses Pueblo Viejo)
10 oz. freshly squeezed honeydew melon juice
5 oz lavender syrup (equal parts lavender tea and sugar)
2.5 oz. lemon
2 bar spoons Bittermens Xocolatl Mole bitters
Method:
Stir and pour over ice in a large punch bowl. Garnish with lemon wheels and a small pinch of salt. Ladle into punch mugs for individual servings.