Blood Orange season is wrapping up, so make this citrusy vodka cocktail while you can. St. Germain ads a botanical note while a dash or two of orange bitters at the end brings together all the flavors.
June was a bit of a rough month, recovering from surgery, then a back injury flaring up. Flaring up is a nice way to put that. Easy to say I was begging for a cocktail at the end of some days. (No medications were combined with alcohol, settle down.) Sipping this on my patio in the shade (check out my DIY Patio Umbrella) was a splendid end to a few days.
What is a Blood Orange?
Blood Oranges are a variety of oranges that are usually produced March to May each year. The “blood” or dark red color comes from a special type of pigment that is unique to this variety of oranges. The taste is said to be something of a typical orange crossed with a raspberry.
What are Bitters?
Bitters are basically the salt and pepper of a drink. Bitters can be made from basically anything: herbs, fruits, flowers producing a bitter or sweet flavor note at the end of tasting a drink. Bitters are used to balance out a drink, they engage other tastes to give a fuller flavor profile. It sounds fancy and intimidating, but it’s not when you get a few, taste and play with them. You sort of feel like a made chemist.
The most popular are Angostura bitters, also called aromatic bitters. Think of Thanksgiving and Christmas candles, that’s what Angostura bitters remind me off – dried herbs and orange peel. I have that along with lemon, orange and Peychaud’s Bitters which I haven’t played with yet.
How do you juice oranges?
I suppose you could use a manual press like you do for lemons/limes – but then your wrists would be hella tired and you would hate yourself. You need quite a few blood oranges to get enough juice. I use this electric juicer, it’s amazing.
What do I need to make this?
You’ll need:
- Cocktail Shaker
- Ice
- Glassware of choice
- Electric Juicer or manual juicer
- Blood Oranges
- Vodka
- St Germain liquor
- Orange Bitters
I hope you enjoy – Cheers!
Blood Orange Martini
Celebrate Blood Orange season with this subtle Martini made with smooth vodka, a touch of St. Germain and mellow Blood Orange juice tied together with a dash of Orange Bitters. Cheers!
Ingredients
- 3 oz Vodka
- .5 oz St. Germain
- 1.5 oz Blood Orange Juice
- Dash of Orange Bitters
Instructions
- Juice Blood Oranges and strain any bits or pulp from juice
- In a shaker with ice, combine Blood Orange juice, St. Germain and Vodka.
- Do all the shaking to get this drink nice and cold
- Poor In Martini Glasses
- Add a dash of Orange Bitters
- Garnish with Blood Orange Slices
Notes
I used a cobbler shaker for this drink along with almost overly-ripe Blood Oranges for easy squeez'n.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 171Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 73mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 1gSugar: 16gProtein: 0g