all things food
This stunning Empress gin cocktail is a delightful summer beverage that is sure to refresh and delight any guest.
Here are the best grapefruit cocktails to try! This fresh citrus fruit features in many classic cocktails, from Paloma to…
Here are the best grapefruit cocktails to try! This fresh citrus fruit features in many classic cocktails, from Paloma to Greyhound to Brown Derby.
Grapefruit is an underdog in the citrus world, but it’s not forgotten in the world of cocktails! Fresh grapefruit juice features in many classic cocktails: it adds a unique hit of sweet and lends a pale pink color.
Some drinks are full on pink grapefruit, while others use it as a background element. From the breezy refreshing Greyhound to the bold bourbon vibes of the Brown Derby, there’s a little something for everyone. Here’s our list of must-try drinks that feature this vibrant fruit.
Here's a favorite grapefruit cocktail: meet the Siesta! This unexpected combination of tequila, Campari and fresh citrus juice is deliciously intriguing. Each sip is balanced and refreshing, with a sweet tart body and a hint of bitter on the finish. One sip in, you'll be sold.
Ingredients: Campari, tequila, grapefruit juice and lime juice
Our favorite grapefruit cocktail: the Paloma! Cousin of the margarita, this easy Mexican cocktail recipe features tequila and grapefruit with a salt rim. This sweet tart and refreshing cocktail is perfect for anytime. The Paloma is traditionally made with grapefruit soda, but for an all natural spin this recipe uses grapefruit juice and soda water (and it’s easier to find!).
Ingredients: Tequila, grapefruit juice, lime juice, soda water, simple syrup
Here’s a grapefruit cocktail that’s sweet, citrusy and just plain fun: the Brown Derby! This 1920’s retro drink is a tasty bourbon cocktail that tones down spicy whiskey with sweet grapefruit juice. The unique thing about this drink? It uses honey syrup instead of the traditional simple syrup, which adds complexity and mellow undertones. Serve this drink anytime: it’s the perfect signature drink for a party, or dilute it with soda water to make into a highball for brunch.
Ingredients: Bourbon, grapefruit juice, honey syrup
Here’s a tasty citrus spin on the margarita that might even be more fun to drink than the original. Try the Grapefruit Margarita! The sweet citrusy grapefruit flavor is perfectly balanced with tequila and lime, and the juice adds a lovely delicate pink flavor. It’s reminiscent of the Paloma, and in fact: it has many of the same ingredients. But the grapefruit marg is uniquely its own!
Ingredients: Tequila, Triple Sec or Cointreau, lime juice, grapefruit juice
Here’s a refreshing grapefruit cocktail: the Greyhound! It’s citrusy and light, born sometime between the 1900's and 1930's. It works in any season: it can be beachy for summer, or throw in a rosemary branch and use winter citrus! This cocktail has just a few ingredients and is easy to mix up.
Ingredients: Gin, grapefruit juice, simple syrup (optional)
Want a grapefruit cocktail that’s laid-back, tart and refreshing? Look no further than the Sea Breeze! It tastes just like its name: light, breezy, and all about no-frills vibes. This 1920's highball is perfect for happy hour with friends, a light brunch drink, or a little evening nightcap. Or mix up a big pitcher for a garden party or a weekend at the lake. Really anything goes here! Here’s how to make this zingy classic cocktail.
Ingredients: Cranberry juice, grapefruit juice, vodka
Here’s a tart, complex and refreshing grapefruit cocktail for the adventurous drinker: the Hemingway daiquiri! This 1920's classic cocktail is a spin on the Classic Daiquiri, invented in honor of the famous writer himself, Ernest Hemingway. It’s got tart, almost bitter grapefruit to balance the acidity of the lime, and maraschino liqueur, a cherry liqueur with notes of sour cherry and almond. There’s a lot going on flavor-wise, but it’s very easy to make.
Ingredients: White rum, grapefruit juice, lime juice, maraschino liqueur
Sure, you can buy grapefruit shandy at the store…but have you ever had one homemade? The shandy is a beer cocktail with hundreds of years of history. Nope, this concept was not invented by Leinenkugel! Adding a mixer to your beer is a concept that goes back centuries. The grapefruit shandy is a spin on a shandy using fresh squeezed juice or soda, and it comes out beautifully refreshing: perfect for summer sipping!
Ingredients: simple syrup, grapefruit juice, soda water, wheat beer
Want a grapefruit cocktail with a salted rim that’s not a margarita? Enter, the Salty Dog! This cocktail’s got a unique name and a beautiful pale pink color. It’s really not anything like a margarita, aside from that salt rim! It’s tangy and refreshing, perfect as a brunch drink or for happy hour. It’s got a light summery vibe, but it works in winter when citrus abounds. Really, it works anytime!
Ingredients: Grapefruit juice, gin, simple syrup (optional), salt rim
What's more refreshing than the sweet, citrusy flavor of grapefruit with vodka? One of the best ways to enjoy this flavor combo is a homemade Grapefruit Vodka Soda! It's bubbly, zingy, and refreshing.
Ingredients: Grapefruit juice, simple syrup, soda water, vodka
In all of the grapefruit cocktails above, we stress this: use fresh squeezed grapefruit juice! As with any citrus, the bottled stuff just isn’t as good. Fresh grapefruit juice has just the right sweet, lightly tangy flavor. You’ll be glad you stocked up on grapefruits instead of the packaged juice.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes 
Yield: 1 drink Here are the best grapefruit cocktails to try! This fresh citrus fruit features in many classic cocktails, from Paloma to Greyhound to Brown Derby. Start with the Siesta cocktail, a fun drink that pairs tequila, Campari, grapefruit and lime.
Category: Drink
Method: Stirred
Cuisine: Cocktails
Diet: VeganThere are so many more great cocktail recipes to try! Here are some of our best drink collections:
Last updated: March 2021
Love a good paloma? Me, too. The paloma is a delightfully fizzy grapefruit, lime and tequila cocktail hailing from Mexico. If you enjoy a Greyhound, grapefruit margarita…
The post Paloma Cocktail appeared first on Cookie and Kate.
Love a good paloma? Me, too. The paloma is a delightfully fizzy grapefruit, lime and tequila cocktail hailing from Mexico. If you enjoy a Greyhound, grapefruit margarita or ranch water, this cooling drink is right up your alley.
South of the border, palomas are typically made with grapefruit soda like Squirt or Jarritos, which taste similar to Sprite to me. Up here, bartenders often mix them with fresh grapefruit juice and sparkling water instead. I prefer mine to be less sweet and more citrusy, so I love the made-from-scratch option.
This paloma recipe is made from scratch with basic ingredients. You’ll need tequila, fresh grapefruit and lime, simple syrup (which is very easy to make), and Topo Chico or sparkling water. Make them at home with top-shelf tequila and you’ll enjoy a better paloma for less money than you’d pay a restaurant.
To make this paloma, we’ll shake everything but the Topo Chico in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shaking the ingredients together yields the kind of paloma you’d receive at a fancy cocktail bar. It’s a brief step that is worth the extra effort.
Finally, we’ll pour the mixture into a glass filled with ice and top it with Topo Chico to retain all those glorious bubbles. You can watch how it all comes together in the brief video below.
The post Paloma Cocktail appeared first on Cookie and Kate.
Have you ever heard of a French Blond cocktail? Me neither, until last week! I read that it’s Taylor Swift’s favorite cocktail after she recently requested it…
The post French Blond Cocktail appeared first on Cookie and Kate.
Have you ever heard of a French Blond cocktail? Me neither, until last week! I read that it’s Taylor Swift’s favorite cocktail after she recently requested it at a local Kansas City restaurant called Rye. Once I saw the ingredients—grapefruit, gin, Lillet and elderflower, I knew I had to try it. It’s fantastic. The cocktail is well-balanced, citrusy and floral, not too strong and not too sweet.
I’m generally completely oblivious to both pop culture and football, to the point that when my husband came home from a charity event last year and told me he was on a team with Travis Kelce, I said, “Who is that?” But the funniest thing has happened now that Taylor is dating Travis. Suddenly, I’m fascinated by a couple I’ve never met, I’m paying attention to football, and I’m wondering, who am I? Am I a Swiftie now?
Maybe it’s the sheer proximity of it all, like I’ve been to Rye, where Taylor Swift supposedly ordered this cocktail! My friend’s mom saw Travis at the Apple Store the other day! My husband said that Travis was friendly and great with kids, and the only rumor I’ve heard about Taylor is that she is indeed very nice. Maybe it’s because they seem like a great match, so they remind me of when my husband and I started dating.
Maybe it’s because I, like all of Taylor’s fans, imagine that maybe we could be friends if we met in real life. How crazy is that? Taylor, we have cold Lillet in the fridge if you guys want to come by for a cocktail. Now I’ve really lost my mind. Anyway, go Chiefs!
The post French Blond Cocktail appeared first on Cookie and Kate.
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe