Hi there!
DC is full of amazing restaurants and bars that have incredibly unique cocktails. Whenever my husband, Joey and I are feeling crafty, we will take a trip to the local liquor store, grab some new ingredients, and try to recreate a cocktail that we recently tried at a trendy DC bar. This makes for a nice, fun, yet collaborative date night in (which I highly recommend)! The cocktail I am sharing with you is from one of those date nights. Originally, this cocktail calls for gin, but we added our own spin and traded the gin for vodka. You really cannot go wrong with this one. If you know me, you know that I am not much of a drinker, but I do occasionally enjoy a good cocktail! My cocktail of choice is usually anything where I cannot taste the alcohol – I’m a wimp, I know. The fresh grapefruit juice and burnt orange flavors from the Aperol make such a refreshing mixture, while disguising the vodka, hence why I love it so much! Whether you are chilling pool side soaking up the summer sun or hanging on a rooftop with friends on starry breezy night, this cocktail is perfect for any occasion year-round.
Although not pictured clearly, these lowball glasses are hand etched with the letter “A” and were a wedding gift to my husband’s grandparents (Raymond Altieri Sr and Theresa Paoni Altieri) back in 1955. They have now been passed on to my father-in-law (Raymond Altieri Jr.) who was gracious enough to let me use them!
Italian Greyhound Cocktail
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 5 mins
Total Time: 10 mins
Servings: 1 Serving
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
- 1/4 cup (50 g) sugar
- 2 ounces (60 ml) vodka
- 4 ounces (120 ml) freshly squeezed pink or red grapefruit juice
- 1 ounce (30 ml) Aperol
- 1 fresh rosemary sprig, for garnish
- 1 sliced grapefruit for sugar rim application and to garnish
Equipment Needed: Cocktail Shaker
Instructions
Combine the chopped rosemary and sugar and spread on a small plate.
Rub a grapefruit wedge on the rim of a glass enough to dampen the rim so the sugar will stick, then press the glass onto the plate, turning and angling the glass to coat the entire rim in the sugar and rosemary mixture.
Fill shaker with crushed ice. Add the vodka, juice, and Aperol. Shake then pour into sugar-rimmed glass. Garnish with a rosemary spring and/or grapefruit wedge.
Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- If you prefer gin over vodka, then by all means switch it up!
- Rosemary is something that may not be found in every kitchen, I get that. However, rosemary is an herb that does stay fresh for a long time in a fridge. So do not feel bad getting a batch of rosemary and only using a little bit for the cocktail.
- Although I highly recommend the sugar rim, if you want to skip it, you can garnish the rim with a grapefruit wedge instead.
Enjoy!
