Now that the sun is shining and summer is almost here, I think it is time for cocktails!
While in Palm Springs this weekend, we discovered the trees around the hotel were actually grapefruit trees, and finally got brave enough to jump up and shake a branch hard enough to knock one grapefruit down! Sneaky, sneaky :)
Anyway, as we were walking from the pool and trees back to our room, I pried open the grapefruit, and gave it a try. Oh man! I swear this was the best grapefruit ever! It was so sweet! I immediately passed it around to all my friends, insisting they try this grapefruit! Mind you, no, we did not have any proper utensils or kitchen tools. We made it work - Survivor style.
We couldn't go back to 'borrow' more amazing grapefruit, but the whole drive home I was still craving them!
So I swung by Trader Joe's on my way home and picked up a few, then, obviously, checked Pinterest for brilliant grapefruit ideas.
And...I found one!!
Have you guys ever tried grilling a grapefruit??
I have heard of grilled fruit, like pineapple slices, or peaches.
But grapefruit was a new idea to me, and better yet, the idea to take the juice and make a Greyhound cocktail!
The Greyhound, vodka grapefruit, is one of my favorite drinks. Not too sweet, and very refreshing.
Well, I just learned of this Smoky Greyhound which uses the juice of a char-grilled grapefruit!
I had to give it a try!
Instead of firing up an outside grill, I decided to try both a grill pan on the stove, and...my under-utilized creme brulee butane torch! Why? Because I rarely make creme brulee and the torch is...really fun!!
I cut a large grapefruit in half and went to town with my brulee torch.
It was fun to watch the fruit's natural sugars bubble up and caramelize. The white pith catches a spark easily, so I had to be very mindful to only broil the actual fruit. The top definitely caramelized, but the inside still remained cold.
Then I put the other grapefruit half on an oiled grill pan on the stove. I left it on until it developed deep grill marks and took off to cool. This method warmed and softened the fruit all the way through, and grilled the outside.
I would recommend actually grilling the grapefruit with this method (or outdoor) for the best results...but, the creme brulee torch is just FUN.
Juice and strain the grapefruit.
Recipe.
Makes 1 (multiply as needed)
To make the cocktail:
Fill a cocktail glass with ice. Add 2oz of vodka, and fill with the fresh grapefruit juice. Garnish with a grapefruit wedge.
This cocktail would also be great with tequila.
Interesting depth of flavor, smoky, bitter, and sweet all in one.
This drink is a win!
So There.