The Pale Rider was born out of bartender Phil Ward's deep hatred of sangria. This drink is almost a sangria, but sangrias are garbage, says Ward. As most of us know, via early forays into college drink-making, sangria is hard to batch with any consistency and it doesn't keep all that long. It also invariably leads to extreme intoxication. In order to tighten things up, Ward infuses fruit into booze so he can recreate his riffs on sangria with greater consistency. The Pale Rider swaps out fruit for jalapeno and simply adds manzanilla, a small dose of cane syrup, and lime. This is not only a Ward drink to its core—spicy and adamantly savory—but also one that showcases how well sherry performs in even the simplest of drinks. To make cane syrup, heat 1/2 cup sugar in a small saucepan with 1/4 cup water, stirring, until dissolved. Let cool before using.
Ingredients
Jalapeño Tequila
Preparation
For the Jalapeño Tequila
Step 1
Cut the jalapeños lengthwise and extract the seeds and membranes; add them to a glass bowl. Reserve the rest of the pepper for another use. Add the tequila to the seeds and membranes and infuse for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the heat of the peppers. Finely strain and bottle. Store at room temperature for up to 1 month.
Step 2
Add the sherry, tequila, lime juice, and cane syrup to a mixing glass. Add ice, shake, and strain into a wine tumbler over ice. Top with the soda, garnish with the cucumber slices, and serve with a straw.
Recipe notes
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