rio grande

1/3 Sweet Vermouth (1 oz Cocchi)
1/3 Gin (1 oz Hendrick's)
1/3 Tequila (1 oz Cimarron)

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Two Fridays ago, I spotted an intriguing old tequila recipe that did not come from the mysterious pamphlet "Popular Cocktails of The Rio Grande" but from the British 1937 Café Royal Cocktail Book. This drink called the Rio Grande paired gin and tequila which are two spirits that I do not believe that I have had together in the same glass. Could they work? Perhaps not in a convincing way with a London Dry Gin, but what about a more vegetal Western style one? The one I selected was Hendrick's for I felt that its cucumber notes might complement the agave flavors decently.
The Rio Grande began with a cucumber-vegetal nose that had almost minty notes to it. Next, a grape sip led into a vegetal swallow with mint and sage flavors. Andrea comment about the drink was that it had a "dry, desert herbalness like the Rio Grande."