Guadalajara Sour and a Rosé

Guadalajara Sour. Sounds sexy, right? For me, it conjures up images of beaches and surfing and tanned women in flowy skirts. All of which is entirely inaccurate, since both Guadalajara in Mexico and Guadalajara in Spain are entirely landlocked. Beautiful, culturally rich, but nowhere near a beach. Whether your images are geographically appropriate or not, however, you can't deny that a Guadalajara Sour sounds like something you might want to have in your hand for any number of summertime activities.

Plus, it's hard not to show a little love for a drink that combines tequila and rosé. It seems like such an unlikely combination, but then tequila always surprises me with its ability to play nicely with others. This drink is no exception; it is surprisingly soft and sophisticated. And dangerously refreshing. Also, unlike many sours, you can drink more than one without feeling like the lemon and simple syrup are at war in your belly. Remember how Doug fell in love with Negronis back in April? I've found my cocktail true match. Who would've guessed he'd be enamored of the Italian aperitif and I'd be banging down the door for some more tequila.

The character of your particular Guadalajara Sour is bound to be determined by your choice of rosé. The one we selected was not very dramatic in color, but more than made up for it with its crisp, faintly herbal (lavender!) taste. I love rosé in the warm weather, and I know you aren't supposed to take it too seriously, but I appreciated that this version had a little more substance than some. If you like rosé, you won't be disappointed. 

France and Mexico in the same glass. Who knew.

Guadalajara Sour

New York Times (6/21/2011)

• 1 3/4 oz. blanco tequila
• 3/4 oz. lemon juice
• 3/4 oz. simple syrup
• 3/4 oz. chilled rosé

Combine the tequila, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake vigorously and strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Hold a spoon with its back side facing up on the surface of the drink and slowly pour the rosé over it. 

Domaine St. Lucie Cotes de Provence Rosé
MiP (2009)
$16

P.S. We grilled some awesome pizza to accompany the cocktails and wine. Griggstown chicken sausage, caramelized zucchini and onion, basil from our  very own garden (read: two potted herbs), and...wait for it...feta. That's right, I've fallen for feta. It only took six years of lobbying on Doug's part. I'm a slow learner, clearly.