I know a few things about sewing projects, cooking for a crowd, and deviling a turkey, but cocktails, not so much. However, I am a fast and eager learner. :) When Larry and I order cocktails at a restaurant, we seem to be drawn inexplicably to the ones made with a French liqueur called "St. Germain". Traveling to France to research this floral liquid would have been my first choice, but I had to settle for a google search. St. Germain is made from small, white, starry flowers that bloom in the French Alps in spring and summer. The flowers are picked within a 4-6 week window and carried in bags by bicycle (I promise I did not make this up!) to the facility where they are macerated and fermented to capture the light floral, fruity essence that we so enjoy in our mixed drinks.
Sometimes I google the ingredients I have on hand and see what recipes turn up in the search and that is how I discovered this recipe for Grapefruit St. Germain Martini. My take on this drink is adapted from another blog, imbored-letsgo.com. I had ruby red grapefruits and St. Germain on hand, pots of rosemary growing on my deck, and the rest is history. In my humble opinion, the most important part of this recipe is the grapefruit; you must not cheat and use bottled grapefruit juice! Find really wonderful, freshly picked, ruby red gems to juice.
Recipe for Grapefruit St. Germain Martini
2 cups red grapefruit juice, freshly squeezed
1/2 cup rosemary simple syrup (see instructions for preparation below)
1 cup vodka
1/2 cup St. Germain
Prepare the simple syrup ahead of time to allow it to cool in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Combine 1/2 cup white sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small pan; bring to a boil, stirring just until the sugar dissolves. Add 2-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary to the water. Cover and remove from the heat. Allow mixture to steep for 20 minutes; remove the rosemary and refrigerate the simple syrup in a small jar until ready to assemble the drink. You can make the simple syrup without the rosemary, but it adds a lovely herbaceous quality that compliments the floral of the St. Germain and the sweet tartness of the red grapefruit.
Juice the grapefruits to equal 2 cups. I used two very large, juicy ones, but if yours are smaller, you will need more. Strain the juice to remove any seeds or pulp. Pour the juice, vodka, St. Germain, and simple syrup into a small pitcher. Keep in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Fill a shaker half full with ice. Fill the shaker 2/3 full with the drink mixture and shake for 20-30 seconds. Pour into chilled martini glasses and garnish with a grapefruit slice, a rosemary sprig, or both. This makes about 6 cocktails.
A sunny afternoon in Big Sky is the perfect place to enjoy this refreshing beverage.