I am obsessed with Whole Foods 365 brand of Italian soda.  Not just any flavor of Italian soda, the blood orange one.  I love it.  I wish they sold it by the case…but if they did I would drink it all day and that may not be so smart. I can’t even try the other flavors because I can’t get over the deliciousness that is the blood orange.  Have you ever purchased a blood orange?  The color is just gorgeous. I can’t find them in every store but when I spot them, I usually make sure to purchase a couple.  

I love playing around with different cocktail recipes but what I love more than anything is trying to create (or recreate) simple cocktail ideas.  I don’t believe that a drink has to be overly complicated to be delicious. No special tools needed to make this cocktail. 

What you’ll need:
2 blood orange segments
1 mint leaf (plus one for garnish)
Bourbon (about 1.5 ounces)
Blood orange Italian soda (I used the Whole Foods 365 Brand)
Blood orange peel (for garnish, optional)

Directions:
In a cocktail shaker, add blood orange segments and a mint leaf and muddle.  
Add ice and bourbon; shake.
Pour bourbon in a glass and top with Italian soda.
Garnish with a mint leaf and orange peel.

Enjoy!