It’s Grapefruit Season–These Are the Fruit-Forward Cocktails You Need to Make
Make the most of this fruit’s prime time with these citrusy drinks.
Thomas J. Story
Although it may not seem like peak fruit season during this time of year, grapefruits are the under-the-radar standout, hitting their stride with a bold, refreshing flavor. Ripe for harvest and at their absolute juiciest, grapefruits also offer the benefits of citrus as an excellent source of vitamin C. Bring that tangy and sweet taste of summer into your life a little early this year by utilizing grapefruits at their best.
Check out the recipes below for how to mix the perfect grapefruit cocktail, servicing any occasion from your next dinner party to a quiet night in.
Vine St. Paloma
The Aster, a Hollywood social club, makes its paloma with bruléed grapefruit juice for a slightly caramelized flavor, but regular juice works too.
The Whiskey Sea
Inspired by Ann Howard Creel’s 2016 novel The Whiskey Sea, in which an orphaned girl is swept up into the world of rum running from the Caribbean to New York during prohibition, hence the tropical liqueurs and rum base.
Del Mar
This drink gets its backbone from aromatic gin and a zippy grapefruit shrub, which is herby and tangy. Play with different vinegars to subtly adjust the acidity and flavor profile.
Ruby Dove
If you like a Paloma, you’ll love this grapefruit and tequila cocktail that pushes the citrus flavor with a house-made cordial and brings the heat with serrano syrup.
Desert Bloom
Ryan Lawrence, Clare Byrne, and Thomas Giddings craft Suncliffe gin as an ode to Arizona. They also sell pre-made cocktail kits that are perfect for an overnight camping trip.
“Compared to a lot of gins on the market today, Suncliffe does not have a strong citrusy note,” says Lawrence. “We did this on purpose for two reasons, which are to really highlight the wild harvested ingredients, and because fresh citrus is always available to add as a juice or garnish.”
