FROM SAMANTHA'S BAR
Blood Orange Spritz
Bitter-sweet blood orange, grapefruit and aperitif-style depth, finished with bright bubbles.
MOCKTAIL
1 DRINK
BALLOON WINE
ABOUT THE DRINK
Blood orange gives this spritz mocktail its colour and sparkle, but the grapefruit and bitter aperitif are what make it feel properly grown-up. A tiny pinch of sea salt sharpens everything, so the finished drink lands bright, bitter-sweet and refreshing rather than sugary.
THE POUR
Ingredients
30 ml grapefruit juice
25 ml non-alcoholic bitter aperitif or bitter orange syrup
Tiny pinch sea salt
165 ml blood orange sparkling drink
Ice, plenty
Orange slice and orange peel twist, to garnish
Method
1.
Fill a large balloon wine glass generously with ice.
2.
Pour in the grapefruit juice and non-alcoholic bitter aperitif.
3.
Add a tiny pinch of fine sea salt and stir briefly to dissolve it into the mix.
4.
Top with the chilled blood orange sparkling drink.
5.
Stir gently once or twice, just enough to bring everything together without losing the bubbles.
6.
Hold a strip of blood orange peel over the glass and give it a quick squeeze to release the citrus oils, then drop it into the drink.
7.
Finish with a fresh slice of blood orange. Serve immediately while it is cold and sparkling.
SAMANTHA'S NOTES
Keep everything cold
Use the salt
Chill the blood orange sparkling drink before building. The colder the ingredients, the brighter and more refreshing the spritz will taste.
The tiny pinch of sea salt is small but useful. It sharpens the citrus and stops the drink from tasting flat or too sweet.
Protect the bubbles
Stir gently once or twice after adding the sparkling drink. Too much stirring will knock out the fizz before you even serve it.
KEEP POURING
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