Drinking the Farmer’s Market: “Summer Soleil” with Fresh Citrus, Curaçao, & Homemade Grapefruit-Infused Vodka

June 22nd, 2013 - filed under: The Food » Recipes

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Hello! Welcome to the first in our Sunday Morning Cocktail series, featuring homemade organic infusions made with fresh, seasonal Farmer’s Market produce. Today’s inaugural cocktail practically screams SUMMER. With its sunnybright hue and explosive citrus flavor, it’s the perfect accompaniment to a warm, lazy afternoon amongst friends.


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Blank canvas.


For this drink you’ll need just a few ingredients:

Fresh oranges
Fresh lemons
Grapefruit-infused vodka (see infusion instructions here; grapefruit takes about 3-5 days)
Curaçao liqueur (the blue is always artificial – use an uncolored variety)


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Begin by juicing your citrus.


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Painted canvas!


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Keep your orange and lemon juices separate.


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To prepare, combine:

1 part fresh orange juice
1 part fresh lemon juice
2 part grapefruit-infused vodka
1 part Curaçao liqueur


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Serve over ice, garnished with a lemon twist. A sugared rim would be delightful.

The awesome thing about cocktails is that they’re much more like salads than they are like pastries. By which I mean, the recipe should be used as a general guideline, as opposed to precise instructions. If you can’t get ahold of grapefruit for the infusion, any other citrus can stand in – think tangerines, mandarins, pomelos, or even limes. If you don’t have the Curaçao, just use Triple Sec or Cointreau. And if you really want to take it over the top, bitters always add that extra dimension to a drink. I’m partial to Peychaud’s in this recipe, but I bet this spicy blend would be wonderful as well.


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Cheers!

  • Rachel from The Vegan Mishmash

    Mmmm…that sounds delicious. I bet it would be wonderful during the winter too for a pick me up. Do you think lime would be a good addition to this recipe?

  • skeptk_vegan

    AH! This looks delicious! I can’t wait to start doing this in Colorado where there is actually FRUIT at the farmer’s markets! Very excited for this series. For now, juicing pineapple with coconut rum. :)

  • http://www.sweetandsavoring.com/ Christy Milford

    Whoa, so I just realized I need a red and white striped shirt, ASAP. So cute! And have I ever heard cocktails compared to salads before this post? I think not. Please continue being fabulous.

  • Kathryn B.

    Some of my favorite posts are cutting boards covered with fresh produce! Fresh produce on the counter makes me feel ALIVE!!

  • KK PhD

    What’s the story behind keeping the juices separate? Do they react?

    I bet this would be really good as a blended drink. You’re right, cocktail recipes are so versatile. You could add a splash of simple syrup to sweeten it and a splash of club soda to lighten it up and serve in a tall glass. I’d possibly use Grand Marnier in place of curacao.

    I wonder how this would taste with Gin in place of Vodka? Experiments needed!

  • veganinbrighton

    What a perfect summer cocktail!

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