--- title: Bernie Sanders Cocktail: What the Bernie Paloma Tastes Like description: Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders now has his own cocktail, the Bernie Paloma, a tequila-based drink developed by a Washington bartender. canonical: https://time.com/3978957/bernie-sanders-paloma-cocktail/ author: Sam Frizell article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-07-30T18:39:55.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-19T07:42:23.010Z article:section: Politics og:title: Here's What the Bernie Sanders Cocktail Tastes Like og:description: It's made in part with Vermont maple syrup, naturally. og:url: https://time.com/3978957/bernie-sanders-paloma-cocktail/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2f50b6728b6778cb/69885d39cd684870700a10b3/jose-andres-barmini.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 594 og:image:height: 334 og:image:alt: Barmini is José Andrés' culinary cocktail lab adjoining minibar at 855 E Street NW in Washington, DC. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Here's What the Bernie Sanders Cocktail Tastes Like twitter:description: It's made in part with Vermont maple syrup, naturally. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2f50b6728b6778cb/69885d39cd684870700a10b3/jose-andres-barmini.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Here's What the Bernie Sanders Cocktail Tastes Like > Sponsored content. 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It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, twice a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=c320a543-f6da-4dab-82a4-233d37afbe2b&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Should I Drink Red Wine? [Watch (HLS stream): Should I Drink Red Wine?](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/JLVLyuEq.m3u8) (1:35)  _Published 2015-03-12. Cheers to your health! All five of our experts give red wine a purple-stained smile._ by [Sam Frizell](https://time.com/author/sam-frizell/) and [Ryan Teague Beckwith](https://time.com/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/) Jul 30, 2015 6:39 PM UTC  Barmini is José Andrés' culinary cocktail lab adjoining minibar at 855 E Street NW in Washington, DC. Barmini is José Andrés' culinary cocktail lab adjoining minibar at 855 E Street NW in Washington, DC. The Washington Post—The Washington Post/Getty Images by [Sam Frizell](https://time.com/author/sam-frizell/) and [Ryan Teague Beckwith](https://time.com/author/ryan-teague-beckwith/) Jul 30, 2015 6:39 PM UTC When Miguel Marcelino Herrera learned that Sen. Bernie Sanders would be coming to a house party he was hosting in his apartment, the Washington bartender wanted to do something special. He decided to create a cocktail in his honor. After experimenting with a mojito made with maple syrup from Vermont, which Sanders represents, and a Michelada made with a lager from Brooklyn, where Sanders grew up, he settled on something a little stronger: a variation on a tequila-based cocktail called the paloma. “In my languge paloma means dove, and dove means soul,” explains Herrera, who grew up in Puebla, Mexico. “And Bernie truly has soul. When he speaks it’s almost like he has a truly big holy spirit driving his ideas.” The Bernie Paloma is made with silver tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice and Vermont maple syrup. Be warned: If you’re making one at home, it’ll set you back a bit. For a TIME taste test, the main ingredients cost $59.36, and that wasn’t counting sucrose esters, an emulsifier that can be found online in generic form for another $15\. (Brand-name Sucro, as specified by the recipe, costs a whopping $105.) Herrera, 24, works at the swank, reservations-only Washington cocktail lounge Barmini, which is owned by noted D.C. chef José Andrés. (This isn’t the first time that Andrés has come up in connection to 2016, either. He [backed out of a deal](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/reliable-source/wp/2015/07/08/jose-andres-backs-out-of-restaurant-in-donald-trumps-hotel/) to open an upscale restaurant in an D.C. hotel being developed by Donald Trump after the Republican candidate made anti-immigrant comments at his campaign launch.) The drink was served at a house party held Wednesday as part of a massive national organizing event for Sanders, but it gained attention after the New York _Times_ [shared the recipe](http://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/07/30/sanders-hosts-a-nationwide-house-party-for-over-100000-would-be-foot-soldiers/) in a story. **MORE:** [_Sanders Hosts Biggest Organizing Event of 2016_](http://time.com/3976557/bernie-sanders-house-party/?xid=tcoshare) So how does it taste? Here are some remarks from our assortment of taste testers: _“Nope. It tastes like this drink from college called Skittles.”_ _“The hairs on my arms just stood up from the smell. … (After drinking) Not bad.”_ _“Refreshing. That is a fine drink.”_ Noting the lime and grapefruit juices: _“This might be useful if I was at sea.”_ All our testers recommended serving the drink chilled or over ice, as otherwise it tended to come off a little too much like something you’d get served in a red Solo cup at a college party. As it’s a tequila drink, the salt-based garnish is also strongly recommended. For those wanting to try at home, here’s the recipe: **The Bernie Paloma** _0.5 oz. Vermont maple syrup_ _0.5 oz. fresh lime juice_ _2 oz. fresh grapefruit juice_ _2 oz. silver tequila_ _Garnish: “salt air,” which is made by emulsifying sea salt, lime juice, water and Sucro with a hand blender._ ### See the 2016 Candidates' Campaign Launches  Sen. Ted Cruz kicked off his campaign for 2016 Republican presidential nomination at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. on March 23. Tom Williams—CQ-Roll Call/Getty Images  Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul launched his bid for the Republican nomination at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville on April 7\. Supporters held signs with the slogan "Defeat the Washington Machine / Unleash the American Dream." Amy Harris—Corbis  Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced her campaign in a YouTube video posted April 12 that has been seen nearly 4.5 million times. One boy featured in the video boasted about playing a fish in a school play. Hillary For America  Florida Sen. Marco Rubio announced his campaign for the Republican nomination during a rally at the Freedom Tower in Miami on April 13\. He took a drink of water during the speech, a callback to his State of the Union response in 2013. Wilfredo Lee—AP  Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders announced his bid for the Democratic nomination across the street from the U.S. Capitol on April 30, 2015\. The backdrop was unusual, since most candidates rail against Washington. Jonathan Ernst—Reuters  Retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson announced his bid for the Republican nomination at the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts May 4, 2015 in Detroit, Michigan. The launch featured a gospel choir covering Eminem's "Lose Yourself." Bill Pugliano—Getty Images  Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina announced her campaign for the Republican nomination in a conference call on May 4, then went on "Good Morning America" to talk to George Stephanopoulos. Lou Rocco—Getty Images  Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee announced his campaign at a community college in his hometown of Hope, Ark., on May 5\. Singer Tony Orlando (right) performed. Left: Danny Johnston; Right: Matt Sullivan—Getty Images  Republican presidential candidate and former New York Governor George Pataki (C) greets supporters after formally announcing his candidacy for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination in Exeter, N.H. on May 28, 2015. Dominick Reuter—Reuters  Former Rhode Island Sen. Lincoln Chafee announces his candidacy for the democratic presidential nomination at George Mason University in Arlington, Va. on June 3, 2015. Win McNamee—Getty Images  Republican Senator Lindsey Graham announces his 2016 presidential candidacy in Central, S.C. on June 1, 2015. Erik S. Lesser—EPA  Former Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley is joined by his wife Katie O'Malley (R) as he announces his intention to seek the Democratic presidential nomination during a speech at Federal Hill Park in Baltimore on May 30, 2015. Jim Bourg—Reuters  Former Texas governor Rick Perry announces his candidacy for Republican presidential nominee at an event held at Addison Airport in Addison, Texas on Thursday, June 4, 2015. Louis DeLuca—Dallas Morning News/Corbis  Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush waves on stage as he announces his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination during an event at Miami-Dade College - Kendall Campus in Miami on June 15 , 2015. Joe Raedle—Getty Images  Donald Trump holds up his financial statement showing his net worth as he formally announces his campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination during an event at Trump Tower in New York City on June 16, 2015. Brendan McDermid—Reuters  Republican presidential candidate and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal formally announces his campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination in Kenner, La. on June 24, 2015. Jonathan Bachman—Reuters  Republican presidential candidate and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie formally announces his campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination during a kickoff rally at Livingston High School in Livingston, N.J. on June 30, 2015. Brendan McDermid—Reuters  Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker greets supporters after announcing that he will seek the Republican nomination for president in Waukesha, Wis. on July 13, 2015 . Scott Olson—Getty Images  Ohio Governor John Kasich arrives on stage to formally announce his campaign for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination during a kickoff rally in Columbus, Ohio on July 21, 2015. Aaron P. Bernstein—Reuters ## Transcript [ MUSIC ] Should you drink red wine? It's your lucky day. All five of our experts give red wine a purple stained smile. A standard pour has 125 calories, so it's lighter than beer and mixed drinks, says Julia Zunpano. And of course it's packed with antioxidants. Alcohol is actually good for you if you drink it moderately. Drinking alcohol is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality compared to drinking too much or drinking not at all says Luigi Ferrucci. Ferrucci. Red wine might be particularly beneficial, but some recent studies suggest that we shouldn't give the famous compound resveratrol all the credit. There's likely not enough of it to make a difference, says resveratrol researcher Juan Carlos Espin. But we do know is that David Katz. Is that drinking habitually but moderately is part of the Mediterranean diet and linked to a long life. Just ask cardiologist James O'Keefe who loves red wine for its ability to lower the risk of coronary artery disease, diabetes, congestive heart failure and stroke. His grandmother Dorothy lived to be be 103, and she enjoyed the happy hour drink every night. The key to a long healthy life, Dorothy O'Keefe used to say, is to not drink too much. 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