Who doesn’t love a seasonal bev? I know I come across as a simple guy, but I have to say, winding down at the end of the day with a refreshing cocktail is just the kind of sophistication I need—plus it gives me a great excuse to put my bar cart to good use!
As the weather warms I find myself craving light refreshment and this Grapefruit Gimlet really does the trick! It’s the perfect balance of sweet and tart. The gin gives it that springy botanical flavor, while the elderflower liqueur keeps it from being too bitter.
Follow the step-by-step guide to mix one up for yourself!
What You’ll Need…
- Gin
- Elderflower Liqueur
- Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice
- Ruby Red Grapefruit
- Rosemary Sprigs
- Rocks Glass
- Ice
- Cutting board
- Knife
- Cocktail Shaker
Instructions:
Serving Size: 1 Cocktail
In a cocktail shaker pour:
- 1 ¾ oz gin — check out my tips below for gin selection! Or if you’re not big on gin, vodka will absolutely work in this cocktail as a substitute!
- 1 oz elderflower liqueur — has a sweet and lightly floral flavor (you can substitute simple syrup for a less boozy option)
- 1 oz ruby red grapefruit juice — you can buy bottled grapefruit juice at the store, but fresh-squeezed will always give you the best flavor and is often sweeter! Plus the Ruby Red color is beautiful in the glass!
Add a generous portion of ice and shake what your mamma gave ya (the cocktail shaker).
Strain over ice into a rocks glass.
Garnish with a grapefruit slice and a sprig of rosemary!
Simple as that! Cheers!
Tips for Picking Your Gin…
I am a lot of things, but a mixology expert is not one of them, so I find the liquor store overwhelming! So many choices, how do you know which to go with?!
When it comes to picking the right liquor (in this case gin) for a cocktail, it helps to know a few basics about what each variety offers. Then you can choose your gin based on what flavors you want to enhance in your drink!
There are four main types of gin:
- London Dry: Classic gin, juniper-forward, no added flavor (hence dry) — perfect for martinis and classic G+T’s
- Plymouth: Drier than London gin, citrus-forward, earthy finish — great with bitter pairings like Negronis
- Old Tom: Sweeter, rich in flavor compared to London Dry, botanical forward — can bring citrus down a notch, good in a Tom Collins
- Genever: Malted, no botanicals or citrus — best in rich cocktails like a gin Old Fashioned
For our Grapefruit Gimlet, I’d recommend either London Dry or Plymouth Gin. Because we’re mixing the gin with elderflower liqueur we don’t need the added sweetness of Old Tom gin, and a malted genever gin would upset the balance.
Need a bar cart for your new found cocktail passion? Check out our bar selection here!
