Siesta

A tequila variation on the Hemingway Daiquiri, the Siesta is a modern day classic that was developed by New York City bartender Katie Stipe in 2006. Like the Hemingway Daiquiri, the drink features lime juice, grapefruit juice and simple syrup, but it swaps out the usual rum for silver tequila and the maraschino liqueur for Campari. The result is a fantastic, refreshing and complex cocktail packed with notes of candied orange and grapefruit. If you love refreshingly sweet-tart shaken drinks but prefer cocktails with a bit of bitterness, the Siesta is about to be your new favorite libation.

Campari is an acquired taste, and not everyone digs its robust, perfume-like flavor on the first sip. But that’s okay—if you’re new to the bright red aperitif, you could substitute Aperol in this cocktail, which is slightly sweeter. As always, the Siesta will be at its absolute tastiest when made with freshly-squeezed juices. If you’re serving the cocktail at a party and see yourself being short on time right before people start arriving, squeeze the lime and grapefruit juices the morning of the big bash. Cover them and store them in the fridge until it’s time to make the cocktails. If you’re absolutely in a pinch and have to use store-bought grapefruit juice, make sure it doesn’t contain any added sugar or preservatives so the Siesta has the freshest flavor possible.

We recommend sipping the drink on a balmy sunny day or, as its name implies, just before taking a siesta.