Blood Orange, Mint, Tequila

Blood orange, tequila, and mint. Bright, structured, and easy to drink. Blood oranges sit slightly apart from standard citrus. Rather than relying on sugar, the sweetness comes from the fruit itself, supported by acid correction to bring consistency and sharpen the edges.

Ingredients

For the Cocktail:

40ml blood orange infused tequila

25ml acid-corrected orange juice

15ml blood orange & mint cordial

15ml Grand Marnier

3 drops orange bitters

Acid-corrected orange juice:

Freshly squeezed orange juice

10ml warm water

1g citric acid

1g malic acid

Blood orange & mint cordial:

130ml blood orange juice

70ml filtered water

10 mint leaves

1g citric acid

1g malic acid

1g tartaric acid

Preparation

Begin by preparing the acid-corrected orange juice. Dissolve the citric and malic acid in the warm water, then add to freshly squeezed orange juice and mix thoroughly until fully incorporated.

Now make the blood orange and mint cordial. Combine the blood orange juice and filtered water in a saucepan and add the mint leaves. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for around 5 minutes, allowing the mint to infuse without becoming overly bitter. Remove from the heat, strain out the mint, and allow the mixture to cool slightly. Add the citric, malic, and tartaric acid, stirring until fully dissolved.

Finally build the drink. Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake until well chilled. Fine strain into a glass over cubed ice, then top with crushed ice. Finish with a mint sprig and a slice of blood orange. Add a straw and serve immediately.