Grapefruit basil white port cocktail recipe
When I head downstairs to our favorite little café and wine bar — yes, I do, indeed, live above a café and wine bar (so me….right?) — I ask Melissa, the gal who runs the show, which wine she’d recommend for me that day.
My favorites? Anything she’d describe as crushable. And usually she’s talking about an acidic white wine because she knows that’s my jam and because April – October in Atlanta is MUCH too hot for any red wine, which is my true love.
So when I gave myself a little challenge of making a cocktail on video without having tested out the recipe before (a little scary for this ambivert!), I knew what I was going for → something totally crushable.
Even though it’s not *technically* summer yet, it’s been in the 80s and 90s here in ATL and I am FEELING it. I need something refreshing and nothing says refreshing to me like a crushed ice cocktail.
So here we are, a Grapefruit Basil White Port Cocktail (say that 3 times fast 😅) inspired by our trip to Porto, where we lazed in the sun with another couple we met while sipping on port at Sandeman. Wow, saying that brings me right back. It’s as if things were back to the way they used to be, even for a few moments.
Now that you’re ostensibly craving a glass of chilled port by the water while soaking in that steady Portuguese sun, let’s get to the recipe.
Grapefruit Basil White Port Cocktail
2 oz white port
Juice from 1/4 grapefruit
1 oz Cynar
1/2 oz basil simple syrup
Spritz of fresh lime juice
Crushed ice
Dried hibiscus flower (optional)
1. Make your basil simple syrup.
2. Add cynar and cooled simple to glass.
3. Fill glass with crushed ice and pour in your port and grapefruit juice.
4. Top with spritz of lime juice and more crushed ice.
5. Garnish with hibiscus flower
I was pleasanetly pleased with how this one turned out, especially because I was filming its inception! Which, if you want, you can view on my Instagram TV channel.
I was going for a layered look – the Cynar being that darker red hue and the grapefruit juice and port lightening the top up, but that didn’t exactly work how I planned. Which, is okay! It still tasted delicious and that’s what counts…right?
Overall this one is – you guessed it – crushable. Enjoy, y’all! And if you do try this one out, please tag me on Instagram so I can see & share!
g.
