Cocktails and Confessions Episode 3: Grapefruit Bourbon Spritz

I’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

Author - Serena Wolf

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Prep Time: 5 minutes 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.