So, we’re a couple of weeks into the new year, and we hope that everyone is having at least a modicum of success with any resolutions they’ve made. In celebration of that assumed success, we figured it was just about time to put forth our first cocktail recipe of the year. Well, it’s partly in celebration. Mostly we just had leftover blood oranges from the Roasted Fennel Orange and Onion Salad and were looking for a creative way to keep them from going to waste. And there was gin, so, you know. This recipe is one of the best (drinkable) ways we could think of mark citrus season and honor the fact that it allows us to enjoy bright, delicious, summer-evoking juice in the throes of winter. Seriously, fresh-squeezed orange juice is one thing, but fresh-squeezed blood orange juice is a whole other ball game. It is sweeter than traditional orange juice, even sporting some berry notes, and the deep garnet and ruby colors verge on being hypnotic. Of course, bright and delicious juice typically means bright and delicious cocktails in our soused little world, and this riff on the Gin Smash is a hat tip to some pretty spectacular classics. It is essentially a potable chimera—a close cousin to the Mint Julep, with a bit of Gin and Tonic and the Prohibition Era Orange Blossom cocktail in the mix.
We also love to say “Gin Smash” with the same gravelly conviction as “Hulk Smash,” which gets funnier the more “smashed” you get. The cocktail actually gets it name from the vigorous muddling that you have to give the mint, so this also serves as a wonderful way to relieve stress and get out any pent up aggression/frustration that might be plaguing you if your resolutions aren’t going so well. You can sit back, sip this endlessly refreshing beverage, regroup, refocus, and forge ahead.
Of course, we wouldn’t over-indulge (stop laughing), because forging ahead is best done in a straight line, but it does make us wonder if the nomenclature of this cocktail wasn’t in some small part a nod to its ability to get you properly, utterly and efficiently smashed. It’s not that it is particularly strong, mind you. It’s just that this falls squarely and gloriously into the “Thank you sir, may I have another” category.
While this gin version is fantastic as is, we always encourage variations to suit your individual tastes. A splash of tonic does wonders here, and you can even add as much as 4 ounces to tip the drink more toward its Gin and Tonic roots if you prefer.
If gin isn’t your thing—although we do encourage you to try this version at least once—this recipe works equally well with vodka or tequila, although if you’re going either of those routes, we suggest using club soda instead of tonic, as the bitter note of the quinine doesn’t work as well with those spirits.
You can also add a little simple syrup or agave nectar for additional sweetness if your oranges fall on the tart side. We’re big fans of the interplay between the tartness of the citrus, the slight bitter note of the tonic, the refreshing mint, and the sweet herbaceous quality of the gin—especially Hendrick’s, which is hands down our favorite–so we’re generally fine without the added sweetener. If you need it, by all means have at it and enjoy.
We’re trying to avoid extra sugar, as our collective pancreases (pancrei?) are still in withdrawal from the December sugar binge. Think “Fear and Loathing in Las Baked Goods” and you’ll get the picture. You’re Welcome. Enjoy this cocktail, albeit responsibly, and dream with us of finer weather and barbecue season. Until then, cheers and best of luck with your goals.
- ½ of a blood orange, cut into 4 pieces
- ½ of a lime, cut into 4 pieces
- 3 to 4 mint leaves
- 2 ounces gin
- ½ ounce simple syrup or agave nectar, optional
- Tonic water
- To garnish: extra mint leaves and a slice of blood orange
- In a cocktail shaker, muddle the blood orange, lime and mint. Add the gin and shake well.
- Strain into a glass filled with ice. Top with as much tonic as you’d like (depending on the desired strength of your cocktail) and garnish with extra mint and blood orange slices.
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