The smartest thing that any celebrity could ever do is to ,” Lopez says, shooting me dead with a sniper rifle from six miles away.
On ice, Bella Berry fares better. The taste is less Bud Lite Strawberita and more syrupy strawberry, though a bit too saccharine for my taste. It’s almost like if you stuck one of the lollipops that the pediatrician gave you as a child into the refrigerator. Though, I’m attributing my slight distaste to Bella Berry being the vodka-based flavor. Everyone has their liquor that they simply refuse to touch, mine is vodka. Enough 4 am chicken sandwiches after partying with contraband in your Fashion Institute of Technology dorm room, and you’d agree.
Though I wouldn’t mind Bella Berry if it were my only option, my minor aversion to it made me hesitate when moving over to the Paloma Rosa, Delola’s tequila-based spritz. I had let the remaining two flavors chill before trying them, following mother’s orders. Paloma Rosa incorporates hibiscus and grapefruit, two notes I adore, so my expectations were lofty. To my surprise, delight, and utter elation, Paloma Rosa is probably the single best ready-to-drink cocktail I’ve ever had in my life.
It’s light, extremely flavorful, and has the perfect hint of tequila, which I find to be necessary for beverages like this. I’m not looking for candy, I want my palette to be reminded that this is a cocktail. Paloma Rosa tastes not just as good, but better than any expensive mixed drink I’ve splurged on at a restaurant. It’s Delola’s crown jewel, as far as I’m concerned. When it properly drops on the East Coast, you’ll have to line up behind me, as I’ll be camped outside, waiting for the liquor store to open. Yes, I’m aware of how concerning that will look.
After Paloma Rosa raised the bar to unimaginable heights, I was left with my final offering: L’Orange, the amaro-based spritz. To say I adore amaro would be to only skim the surface. I know I look 19, but I’m actually on the verge of 29, and I don’t really mess with hard liquor much anymore. Alcohol consumption is a sipping experience, and I love a nice, low-alcohol, full-bodied, fruity amaro. Anything that makes me feel ’80s-era Kathleen Turner, draped in red satin and smoking a cigarette while I use the cool of my glass to ice my neck, I will buy.
L’Orange is another total gobsmack. It’s certainly fruity, without tasting synthetic. The amaro comes through just enough, which was a wonderful realization, as I feared a lower-alcohol spirit would get lost in the formulation. The notes of passionfruit sprinkle over the orange, and neither overpowers the other. It’s a complete and total hit. L’Orange is the premium alternative to an Aperol spritz, which will cost you as much as $50 for ingredients in New York if you’re looking to make one yourself (and the starting price point of $18 per glass at a restaurant isn’t much better).
Delola blows other ready-to-drink cocktails out clean out of the water, easily. Too many pre-prepared drinks like this—especially ones from name brands—burst with sugar, calories, and hangovers, instead of flavor. Delola really is different, something pretty special. It looks, tastes, and feels like an opulent, high-end experience. And my god, do we all deserve a little luxury in our lives. It’s always made me a little woeful to think about Lola, the alter ego that never really was. Perhaps she was too fresh out the oven. But one thing is for sure: No one can call Delola under-baked.
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