vito's catch

3/4 oz Don Julio Reposado Tequila (Cimarron)
3/4 oz Grapefruit Juice
3/4 oz Cocchi Sweet Vermouth (Alessio)
3/4 oz Cherry Heering
1 pinch Sea Salt (4 drop 20% Sea Salt Saline)

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe. Two Tuesdays prior, I opened up the Hawthorne bar bible, and I spotted the Vito's Catch that read like a tequila Blood & Sand riff that swapped the Scotch and orange juice for aged tequila and grapefruit. In the glass, the Vito's Catch effused a vegetal agave and cherry bouquet to the nose. Next, cherry and grape notes on the sip blossomed into tequila, dark fruit, and grapefruit flavors on the swallow. Overall, I was impressed at how the grapefruit tied together the combination better than regular orange juice in the classic. This was a more subtle change than in my Rogue's Romance a few months ago where I replaced the orange juice in the Scotch original with lemon juice, a heavy dose of Angostura Bitters, and an orange peel included in the shake, but equally as enjoyable.