Make it.
- Chill the glass. Fill a Collins or highball glass with ice while you prepare the cocktail.
- Prepare the rim. Run a lime wedge around half of the rim, then gently press it into worm salt. A half rim lets each guest choose how much seasoning enters each sip.
- Shake. Add mezcal, papaya puree, lime juice, agave nectar, and ice to a shaker. Shake firmly for 10 to 12 seconds.
- Strain. Empty the chilling ice, add fresh ice, and strain the cocktail into the prepared glass.
- Finish with bubbles. Top with sparkling water and stir once or twice, gently, to preserve the carbonation.
How to Serve It
Garnish with a thin lime wheel or a small slice of papaya. Keep the presentation simple; the color of the fruit and the rust-red rim already tell the story.
Serve immediately while the glass is cold and the bubbles are lively. Take the first sip from the salted side, then try the next without the rim. The contrast makes the role of worm salt easy to taste.
The Don Catrin Ritual
Let the worm salt touch the papaya first. That small savory note turns a gentle fruit vivid, then makes room for lime, smoke, and bubbles. It is a simple reminder that the rim is not decoration; it is part of the drink.
Adapted from the existing Don Catrín recipe.
A Softer Kind of Summer Cocktail
Papaya rarely asks for attention. It is gentle, floral, and quietly tropical, the kind of fruit that tastes best when something sharp wakes it up. In this cooler, that spark comes from fresh lime and a rim of worm salt.
The first sip begins with the rim: chile, salt, and toasted depth. Then the papaya arrives, round and mellow, followed by lime and the clean lift of sparkling water. Mezcal gives the drink structure and a thread of smoke without turning it heavy.
This is not a frozen resort drink or an overly sweet fruit cocktail. It is built for a long afternoon, a shaded table, and the moment when the heat finally begins to soften.
