Sotol Cítrico 

By Rebekah Peppler

Updated May 22, 2025

Sotol Cítrico 
Joel Goldberg for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Hadas Smirnoff.
Rating
5(22)
Comments
Read comments

The bright, citrus-forward combination of sotol, grapefruit, lime and orange bitters adds a sweetly acidic punch that balances the herbal, earthy undertones of sotol, a traditional spirit from Northern Mexico. A few dashes of orange bitters underscore those citrus notes even further (and should you have another citrus-based bitter on hand, such as grapefruit or lemon, feel free to swap it in). Serve it up in a chilled glass just as written, or add a salt or Tajín rim for a welcome layer of texture and spice (see Tip).

Featured in: It’s High Time You Added Sotol to Your Bar Cart

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

    Subscribe

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

Advertisement

Ingredients

Yield:1 drink
  • Ice
  • 1½ ounces sotol
  • 1ounce dry vermouth 
  • 1ounce grapefruit juice
  • ¼ ounce orange liqueur
  • ¼ ounce fresh lime juice
  • ¼ ounce agave syrup (see Tip)
  • 2dashes orange bitters
Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place a martini or Nick and Nora glass in the freezer to chill for at least 15 minutes and up to an hour. (You can also fill the glass with ice and water, stir for 30 seconds, pour out the ice water to instantly chill the glass.)

  2. Step 2

    In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine the sotol, vermouth, grapefruit juice, orange liqueur, lime juice, agave syrup and orange bitters. Shake vigorously until well chilled, about 15 seconds. Strain into the chilled glass and serve immediately.

Tips
  • To make agave syrup: In a resealable jar, combine ½ cup agave nectar and ¼ cup warm water. Stir or cover and shake until well combined. Agave syrup will keep stored in the refrigerator for up to one month.
  • To add a Tajín or salt rim, sprinkle a thin layer of Tajín or fine sea salt into a shallow bowl or plate. Run a grapefruit or lime wedge along the rim of your chilled glass, then dip the rim into the Tajín or fine sea salt, tapping off any excess before pouring in the cocktail.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

5 out of 5
22 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

There aren’t any comments yet. Be the first to leave one.
LT

Big thank you for introducing me to sotol, an excellent liquor that is now in regular rotation in my cocktails. I did not love this drink, though. Instead I've been making a Meyer lemon cocktail with sotol: 2 oz sotol, 1.5 oz Meyer lemon juice, .5 oz lime juice, 1.5 oz rosemary simple syrup, shaken together, poured over ice in a highball, top with an ounce or two of club soda. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary or a Meyer lemon peel twist.

Private comments are only visible to you.

Recipe Tags

or to save this recipe.