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Pretty in pink, this raspberry, grapefruit number is our new go-to sipper.
About the cocktail
Looking for a tequila cocktail, but Margarita-ed yourself out over summer? Meet the Pink Paradise – the fancy pink love child of the Paloma and Hemingway Daiquiri. This very special little number was created with love by the annoyingly talented Shirley Yeung. If you don’t know Shirley, she is leading the group operations of popular Perth bars Foxtrot Unicorn, Nieuw Ruin, and Edward and Ida’s, and is also a co-founding member of Mix Haus, a non-profit organisation supporting womxn in hospitality. To top it all off, she was also recently named in the Drinks World Top 25 Bartenders Australia 2023 list, which is a big deal. Shirley is no stranger to Dan’s Daily. We’ve enlisted her cocktail expertise a number of times – most recently in this bangin’ piece about the best tequila for your Margs. So (obvs) when it came to another tequila creation, we had to have her back. In devising this cocktail, Shirley stuck to her cocktail rule of thumb. “I always go for simplicity,” she explains. “I try to steer away from anything with more than five ingredients… anything more and there’s too much going on, which is why I love this cocktail,” she says. “It's so easy and simple to make at home.” In terms of taste, Shirley says it’s like summer in a glass. “It’s fruity, balanced with fresh pink grapefruit and raspberry sweetness. Best of all, it not only looks great but it also tastes delicious, too!” A simple yet complex mix of reposado tequila, fresh pink grapefruit, raspberry syrup (homemade, if you can) and a few dashes of Angostura, this pretty-in-pink drink is light, sweet, zippy and perfect before a feed (or whenever really). It’s the Emily (from Emily in Paris) of cocktails “It’s trendy and seasonal, but you can dress it up however you like and it’s still true to itself,” explains Shirley. Want to have a whirl at Shirley’s deliciously pink creation? Have a squiz at her top tips below.
Watch: How to make the Pink Paradise
Ingredients: For the cocktail
2 dashes Angostura bitters
20mL raspberry syrup (recipe below if you want to make your own) 50mL reposado tequila 30mL pink grapefruit juice Glass: coupe Garnish: raspberry salt (grind equal parts flake salt and freeze-dried raspberry powder in a mortar and pestle)
Ingredients: For the raspberry syrup (if not using store-bought)
2 punnets fresh raspberries 250g granulated sugar 250g water Optional: 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Method: For the cocktail
Prep your glass by running a wedge of pink grapefruit around the rim and rolling it in your raspberry salt. If you can’t find freeze-dried raspberry powder, a traditional salt rim works well, too. Add all ingredients to your shaker with ice Shake until the outside of the tin gets frosty Double strain into a coupe glass
Method: For the raspberry syrup
If you can’t find raspberry syrup on the shelves, rest assured it’s bloody easy to make you’re own. First, cut raspberries in half and place into a medium-sized pot over a low-medium heat
Add the sugar, then gradually add water and allow the sugar to slowly dissolve Once sugar is dissolved, turn heat down to low and let it simmer for another 10 minutes (don’t worry if it looks thin, it’ll continue to thicken as it cools) Take off heat and transfer to a tightly sealed container – leave the mixture overnight for the flavours to fully infuse Optional: For maximum flavour, thoroughly blitz the syrup mixture in a blender and strain – otherwise, just strain Add apple cider vinegar and mix (it’ll help your syrup last a little longer), then keep refrigerated
Shirley’s top tips
The Pink Paradise cocktail is as easy as they come, but to make a really good one, Shirley has a few suggestions to keep in mind. First of all, it’s all about the juice. “Definitely use fresh citrus juice,” says Shirley. “It elevates the cocktail and is 100% worth the effort.” That fresh zing of a pink grapefruit will give this drink its edge and sophistication so make sure you opt for a ripe pink grapefruit to juice. When it comes to serving this drink, we want to make sure that the liquid is as cold as possible. To ensure this, get your raspberry salt rim ready before you mix your cocktail and stick the glass in the freezer. This will keep it nice and frosty, so when you’re ready to pour the liquid in, it’ll stay lovely and cold. One of the greatest things about the Pink Paradise is that it’s very malleable, so if you despise raspberries you can definitely opt for a different syrup. Shirley recommends guava, mango or passionfruit will also pair well with that reposado tequila. The final touches? Shirley suggests throwing on ‘Cruel Summer’ by Miss Taylor Swift, gathering your friends and serving the Pink Paradise next to some spicy Thai food.
