A grapefruit and a blood orange walk into a bar and order a gin. That's not a joke - its just a really good story. Citrus and gin are a match made in heaven.
Look - I realize that you're probably reading this in the morning, at work, and I'm sorry you can't enjoy this Blood Orange Salty Dog yet. Think of it this way - I'm giving you something to look forward to, so you're welcome.
A Salty Dog cocktail is typically made with grapefruit juice and either vodka or gin. Given a choice between the two - always choose gin. Salty Dogs are served a lot during the summer because they're light and refreshing; But why not take advantage of all the lovely winter citrus now and fantasize about spring.
My friend Lesley introduced me to a product called Real Salt which is kind of the ideal salt for this Salty Dog. The minerals in Real Salt play really well with the botanicals in the gin and the bitterness of the citrus to add a surprising sweetness. Any fine sea salt will work for rimming the glasses for this Blood Orange Salty Dog.
Blood Orange Salty Dog
makes 2 drinks
sea salt
ice
4 ounces gin
3 ounces grapefruit juice
3 ounces blood orange juice
Pour the salt onto a small plate. Moisten the rim of two old fashioned glasses - I like to use any left over citrus rind for this. Dip the moisten rims into the salt to coat the rim. Set the glasses aside.
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Combine the gin, fruit juice, and a pinch of salt in the shaker and shake vigorously. Fill the rimmed glasses with ice and strain the cocktail mixture into the glasses. Enjoy.