Candied Grapefruit, Gin and Rosewater Love
Friends, I am obsessed with Pinterest. Pretty much since day one, it has been my favourite social media site. I follow the dreamiest people on it, and my feed is flooded with sun-soaked images of the most beautiful places, the most breathtaking weddings, the most gorgeous dishes.
I am on it all the time. It’s probably my most used app on my phone, and I’m constantly flipping through pictures on the bus, while I’m waiting for friends and when I have just 5 minutes to do absolutely nothing. It’s the best.
But I am the worst for seeing something, pinning it five times and then forgetting about it a week later. Seriously, the worst. The flip side to that is how totally exciting it is when you flip through and see those pictures all over again. Case in point: this cocktail with candied grapefruit. Gin and candied grapefruit? Words to my heart.
This version is a bit different from the original; I upped the grapefruit flavor and added in some rosewater, mostly because I want to add rosewater to everything, but also because I think it really adds something beautiful to this.
This is not the simplest drink to make, but it’s well worth the work.
Candied Grapefruit, Rosewater and Gin Shaker
Candied Grapefruit:
- 3 cups sugar
- 1 grapefruit
Bring a small pot of water to a boil.
Peel the grapefruit with a peeler. Cut it into either strips or cubes. Put the peel in the water and boil for about a minute. Strain.
Mix 2 cups of the sugar and 1 cup of water to a boil in the same small pot. Add in the peel and simmer for about half an hour, until the peel is completely transparent and the syrup is very thick.
Put the sugar in a small bowl. Using a fork, pick out all the pieces of peel and mix them with the sugar. Dust the sugar off the peels.
Per Cocktail:
- 1 oz syrup from the candied grapefruit.
- 2 oz grapefruit juice
- 2 oz gin
- ¼ tsp rosewater
Mix all ingredients in a shaker over ice. Shake until chilled.
Pour over ice. Garnish with the candied grapefruit.
All images via the author
