How to make IMAGE staffer Susan Vickers Doyle’s favourite cocktail: A Winter Paloma

When it comes to perfect pairings, Susan and a winter Paloma are a match made in heaven. Made up of the baseline essentials – lime juice, grapefruit soda, and of course, tequila – it stands out from the crowd with seasonally appropriate ingredients like cinnamon-infused agave nectar and cranberry juice, making it the perfect Christmas order.

“I’d describe myself as charming because I naturally gravitate towards people and enjoy building genuine relationships,” Susan says. “I’d say I’m quite confident in the way that I try to bring warmth and positivity to my interactions, and I’ve been called refreshing, because I like to see the best in life and have a real sense of gratitude and appreciation for the things and people around me.”

Susan and her drink of choice clearly have some defining characteristics in common! Of the cocktail, Susan describes it as light, refreshing, and not half as heavy as some cocktails can be. “It’s the perfect thirst-quencher, and the salted rim gives it the perfect balance of salty, sweet, and zingy, making it completely moreish!”

Casamigos Winter Paloma

Ingredients

• Casamigos Blanco Tequila – 50ml
• Cinnamon-infused agave nectar* – 20ml
• Lime Juice – 30ml
• Cranberry Juice – 40ml
• Grapefruit Soda – approx. 100ml

Method

• Start by garnishing a tall glass with smoked sea salt, using a lime wedge to moisten the outside of the glass before rolling it in the salt.
• Add all of the other ingredients to a cocktail shaker, add ice and shake until adequately diluted and chilled. Add ice to your pre-salted glass and fine-strain from the cocktail shaker to remove ice shards and pulp.
• Top with grapefruit soda and garnish with a grapefruit wedge.
• *To infuse the agave nectar, add in a tablespoon of cinnamon dust per 500g of agave nectar in a dish and stir to infuse before returning to a suitable pouring bottle

Photography by Dan Dunne