Pour Yourself a Drink: The Bodegarita

Photo credit: Alex Van Buren

You know how it is. It’s the end of a party and you’re scouring the bar. All you see are the beers left by the dude who brought a cheap six-pack and then drank all the nice bourbon, the Bad Gin (the one in the huge plastic jug), and tequila. Always tequila.

Yes, you could do shots. Shots are always an option. Or you could, you know, still like yourself the next day.

Do what we did in this dire situation, at a party, at 2 a.m. Make a bodegarita.

Fondly named in honor of the great New York deli, which locals call a bodega, the bodegarita is a tasty mix of tequila, lime juice, tamarind soda and desperation. Tart and sweet at once, it’s a lovely, balanced thing with which to round out a night of poor decisions.

Tamarind soda is often easy to find at a grocery store, bodega or deli, but it can be terribly sweet, as is true of the Jarritos version shown here. So squeeze in as much lime juice as you can find from the knobs still kicking around in the wee hours. (Pull them from the hands of the frat boys doing shots, if you must).

Can’t find tamarind soda? Not a problem. Look for any tropically-flavored soda (or buy mango juice and seltzer) for your own personalized version of this drink.

We like our bodegarita on ice, with tequila reposado, and about a third of a lime’s worth of juice. You can make it work with whatever you’ve got. No one’s judging. Happy Friday.

The Bodegarita

One lime
Ice
3 oz tequila, divided
One bottle of tamarind soda, such as Jarritos

Cut lime in half along its equator. Slice two lime wheels out of one half; set aside. Take remaining half of lime and squeeze its juice out equally into two glasses. Add ice to two glasses. Pour tequila into each glass. Top each glass with tamarind soda, to taste. Stir. Garnish with lime wheel. Serve.

Photo credit: Alex Van Buren