At DrinkWell in Austin, a few ingredients that are less common stateside—pisco and sloe gin—form the base of the Paperback Romance, the most popular drink at the moment. Paired with grapefruit juice, peach bitters and bergamot liqueur, the cocktail is a no-brainer for this time of year; it “just screams spring,” says DrinkWell’s Caer Maiko.
Paperback Romance
Caer Maiko | Austin, Texas

Ingredients
Serving: 1
- 1 1/2 ounces pisco, preferably Caravedo Quebranta
- 1/2 ounce lemon juice
- 1/2 ounce grapefruit juice
- 1/2 ounce simple syrup
- 1/2 ounce Italicus bergamot liqueur
- 1/2 ounce sloe gin
- 1 dash peach bitters
Garnish: orange twist, blackberry
Directions
- Add all ingredients to a shaker and shake with ice.
- Strain into a Collins glass over ice.
- Garnish with an orange twist and a blackberry.