Whether you are celebrating Valentine's day, Galentine's Day, Guyentine's Day, or just treating yourself to a day of self-love; this delightfully vibrant, subtly floral, citrus infused cocktail will ensure you are feeling the love.

The inspiration for this recipe is the beautifully blush pink Grapefruit. Maybe it is just me, but I feel like grapefruit is an under loved citrus; a fruit that is easily overlooked and sadly underused when it comes to peak citrus season. Always bypassed for the basic favorites like Lemon and Lime or the showstoppers like CaraCara and Blood Orange, Grapefruit rarely gets to take center stage.

For these recipes you will want 2 large perfectly ripe Grapefruit. Not sure how to tell which is ripe? Here is how I pick the perfect piece of citrus every time. First look for a fruit with a vibrant orange peel tinged with pink, it should be surprisingly heavy in your hand, and brightly fragrant when touched. When ripe the peel will almost weep oil leaving your hands covered in a shiny almost glittery coating. We will be using both the peel and juice, so I suggest going organic if you can, but ensure to wash your fruit either way.

The first step is most time consuming, but incredibly easy; we are making a grapefruit infused oleo saccharum. Oleo saccharum is a very old method for making a syrup like fruit and sugar infusion. Unlike traditional heat infusions, this slower process extracts all the subtle flavors and oils without that overly bitter taste we all expect from citrus peels.

Step one: Peel large sections of your grapefruit; pay special attention that you aren't getting the pith - the pale white part between the peel and flesh of the fruit - too much of the pith will increase how bitter your final syrup is. Take your peels and mix them together with your 1/2 Cup of white sugar, I like to use a ziplock bag, but you can use a sealable container to reduce plastic consumption. Massage the citrus peels and sugar together, you will notice that the peels quickly start to release liquid, this is oil. Allow the mixture to sit overnight mixing occasionally until the sugar has hydrated into a thick gooey delicious syrup.

Step two: While your oleo saccharum sits overnight you will want to start your cold infusion, for this cocktail you will want a Hibiscus Rose tea, loose leaf or a bag will do. Remember the higher the quality the better the final flavor. Simply place 1-2 servings of tea in a cup of chilled filtered water. Seal and place in the fridge to steep overnight. Yes, it is really that easy!

Step three: Once your syrup and tea are ready, mix together and strain through a fine mesh sieve, removing all the solids. This is the base to our cocktail but can be used in almost anything calling for a simple syrup.

For the cocktail: From here out we are taking a bubbly spin on a classic gin fizz! You will need a few pieces of equipment, starting with a jigger and shaker, although a tablespoon and jar with a lid will work in a pinch. 

Floral Grapefruit Gin Fizz - Makes 2

Ingredients:

• 3 ounces gin

• 1 ounce cherry liqueur

• 1.5 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed

• 1 ounce of our grapefruit Oleo Saccharum

• 1 egg white (about 1/2 ounce)

• Champagne or a Rose Prosecco to Finish

Time to shake things up.

1. Add the gin, cherry liqueur grapefruit juice, oleo saccharum and egg white to your dry shaker (aka - without ice )

2. Seal and shake vigorously for 20 seconds. The action of shaking with the acidic juice and sugary syrup foams and effectively cooks the raw egg white.

3. Open and add some ice before shaking again until well chilled. If you are using a metal shaker, you will know it's ready when the outside of the shaker becomes frosty and your fingers are cold.

Grab your Glasses. Rim your glass of choice - I am a fan of a coupe for this drink - with a little citrus and dust with our Rose Finishing sugar. Strain your chilled drink into the glass, top with an ounce or two of bubbly Rosé, and adorn with a twirl of candied grapefruit for an exquisite drink that will easily sit among the list of most incredible cocktails you will ever enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Oleo Saccharum

• Peel from two Grapefruits - large pieces not zest

• 1/2 cup white sugar

Mix together and let sit over night on the counter in a sealed contain, mixing occasionally. Remove large solids before mixing with tea and straining.

• Hibiscus + Rose Tea ( 1-2 servings )

• Cold filtered water

Steep tea in cold water in the fridge over night, remove tea before mixing with sugar mixture and straining.

Kristen