Pink Grapefruit Bourbon Crusta

There's so much I love about this drink. The pink grapefruit that I can never resist. The thick sugared rim of the glass. The well balanced flavors of this variation on an old cocktail.

The classic "crusta" drink is made with brandy and lemon juice but the name comes from the signature thick, crusted sugar on the rim. It was originally developed in New Orleans in the 1850's so it's a great choice for toasting Mardi Gras.

The drink's base spirit, though, is interchangeable. The two requirements of a crusta are the thick rim and a wide peel of the citrus used. Because I switched the lemon juice with seasonal pink grapefruit, I also changed the spirit to one that goes so well with that flavor. Bourbon actually plays well with all citrus. And instead of the wide lemon peel, I garnished with the pink grapefruit peel. Cheers!

Yield: 2

Author: Anita Schecter

Pink Grapefruit Bourbon Crusta

Prep time: 10 MinTotal time: 10 Min

Bourbon cocktail flavored with maraschino cherry liqueur, pink grapefruit juice, orange liqueur and bitters. Served in a sugar encrusted glass.

Ingredients

• 4 oz. Bourbon
• 1/2 oz. Luxardo maraschino cherry liqueur
• 1/2 oz. Triple Sec
• 2 oz. Pink grapefruit juice
• 1/2 oz. Simple syrup
• 2 Dashes bitters
• Pink grapefruit juice for the rim
• Granulated sugar for the rim

Instructions

1. Place some granulated sugar in a shallow dish. Run the edge of a cut grapefruit along a wide rim of two cocktail glasses and dip them into the sugar. Place in the refrigerator to set.
2. Add the bourbon, maraschino cherry liquor, triple sec, pink grapefruit juice, simple syrup and bitters into a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice, shake well and pour into the prepared glasses.
3. Garnish with a large section of grapefruit peel.