Cocktails and Confessions Episode 3: Grapefruit Bourbon Spritz

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Grapefruit-Bourbon-Spritz-Cocktail-1I’ve always loved a good bourbon cocktail, especially during the colder months. It warms you right up and it feels the tiniest bit reckless, which, for those that like fun, can only be a good thing. (Unless it leads to public nudity and police escorts, but I’m getting to that.)

The Grapefruit Bourbon Spritz you see before you is one of my very favorite winter cocktails. Made with freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice, ginger-infused simple syrup, lemon and a splash of club soda, it’s light, bright and packs a pretty serious punch. The ginger simple syrup adds the perfect hint of spice to the sweet-tart citrus combo, and the resulting cocktail is fabulously refreshing. You should probably go ahead make it in bulk. Efficiency.

So, are you excited?! Are you going to rush home from work tonight and make this festive Bourbon Spritz? If the answer to both those questions is not a resounding “YESSS!” perhaps I can convince you with a quick tutorial and some mild over-sharing on this week’s episode of Cocktails and Confessions?

Happy Friday, friends! Get a little weird.

p.s. The morning after the events described in this episode, I woke up to find my purse filled with nothing but pearls and cheddar Goldfish. (My thoughtful police escort had apparently taken me to 7-11 and bought me my favorite snacks, since I had never managed to retrieve dinero from the Spanish ATM.) When I eventually emerged from my dorm room later that afternoon, I discovered my credit cards, ID, and several pearls adorning the three flights of stairs leading to my door. Memorieeeeeesssss.

p.p.s. As I mentioned last week, if you’re enjoying Cocktails and Confessions, I’d love for you to subscribe to my fancy new Youtube channel. No pressure, but you’re probably not going to want to miss next week’s Valentine’s Day extravaganza, in which I discuss Champagne punch and the perils of tipsy Facebook messaging…

Grapefruit-Bourbon-Spritz-Cocktail-2

Grapefruit Bourbon Spritz

Author - Serena Wolf
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Yields: 1 cocktail

Ingredients

  • 1 2- inch piece grapefruit zest
  • 2 ounces fresh pink grapefruit juice That’s the juice from about ½ a large grapefruit.
  • ½ ounce fresh lemon juice
  • 2 ounces bourbon
  • 1 tablespoon ginger simple syrup You can use more if you like a sweeter cocktail.
  • Splash of club soda

For the ginger simple syrup:

  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup water
  • ¼ cup peeled chopped ginger

Instructions

  • To make the Ginger Simple Syrup: Bring the sugar, water and chopped ginger to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat, and let the mixture sit for 20 minutes. Strain into a jar (or other airtight container), cover and chill. (The syrup will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.)
  • Place the grapefruit zest to a highball glass filled with ice. Add the grapefruit juice, lemon juice, bourbon and ginger syrup, and stir to combine. Top cocktail off with a splash of club soda.

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7 Comments

  1. Kate on March 16, 2015 at 8:24 pm

    I used to order Manhattans because I wanted people to realize I was no longer a college student but a sophisticated young adult. It usually ended up with me taking a drunken bubble bath (by myself, and obviously a bad idea), then journaling out my feelings, which I would read the next day and not even understand myself at all. Surprisingly, I still enjoy bourbon.

    • Serena_Wolf on March 17, 2015 at 6:59 pm

      Kate, these C+C comments just single-handedly made my day. Funny you should bring up the Manhattan. I actually love Manhattans, but I try to consume them within the confines of my apartment because I too enjoy drunken bubble baths–and the tipsy hits fast and hard with those bad boys. Serious question: do you think I should take up journaling? (Does this blog count?)

      • Kate on March 18, 2015 at 3:23 pm

        YES! You should absolutely take up journaling. You’ll always end up writing about feelings and whatnot that wouldn’t make it to the blog, and if you journal while intoxicated, it can provide some solid gold blog material. I also went back through and read journals I kept in high school, and it is downright hilarious. I plan on doing a blog post to highlight my teenage angst.

  2. Liz @ FloatingKitchen on February 8, 2015 at 5:08 pm

    Oh I’m loving this. And it’s Sunday night, I’m stuck at home in a snow storm and I all ready have all the ingredients on hand. This is happening right now!

    • Serena_Wolf on February 9, 2015 at 8:58 am

      YES. Hope it was delightful! xo

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