I love grapefruit. It’s so tart and tangy but so delicious. I’ve been on a trip lately where I’ve been broiling my grapefruits again and playing around with different spice combinations. The most recent one was with sugar and black pepper. Sounds weird but it was really quite tasty. Anyway, I love cocktails with grapefruit in it – there’s something very refreshing about it..especially when you add a splash of champagne.

Recently, I was looking for a way to incorporate fresh grapefruit juice in an adult beverage but I wanted something more than just “regular” grapefruit juice. Why not roast a grapefruit and use the juices from it as a base for a cocktail? Roasting grapefruit, or any fruit for that matter, really highlights the flavors and sort of intensifies it – so good. Because I like gin and I like grapefruit juice…I figured I’d combine the two and see what I came up with.

Supplies:

grapefruit
cardamom
gin
tonic water
grapefruit + basil for garnish
turbinado sugar for garnish, optional (you could use regular sugar too if you like)

Turn on your broiler.

Half the grapefruit and sprinkle with a little sugar and cardamom on top. Place in broiler…keep an eye out on the grapefruit. You want it to char a bit but you want to make sure it doesn’t burn. It should caramelized a little on top.

Once it cools, juice the grapefruit. While you’re waiting for your grapefruit to cool, rub the outside of your glass with a slice of grapefruit then dip the wet part of the glass in turbinado sugar. Not necessary but makes for a pretty drink.

Combine gin and juice with ice in a cocktail shaker (throw a little basil in there if you want) and shake!

Pour into a glass filled with ice and top with tonic water.

Garnish with a slice of grapefruit and a basil leaf. If you enjoy the cardamom flavor, sprinkle a little extra on top.

There’s a slight possibility that this drink may be a little too tangy for you. If this is the case, you can sweeten with a little agave.