Winter can be a dull time for cocktails.  Lots of heavy eggnog and smoky drams of scotch.  However, blood oranges and grapefruits are finally in season, and on sale at the store!  So what to do when you get too many?  Make it into a cordial of course!

A cordial combines the fresh zest on the outside with the sharp juice on the inside with equal parts of sugar.  The zest is what keeps the final product bright and fresh, where normally the juice itself will dull with time. The recipe is simple.

Citrus Cordial

Ingredients

3 -5 oranges, grapefruit, kumquats, or other winter citrus

Sugar

Hand Juicer

Paring knife or veggie peeler

1. Remove zest from fruit using paring knife or veggie peeler.  Avoid removing too much pith, its bitter
2. Juice the citrus, combine with equal amount of sugar by volume and the zest
3. Whisk (or shake in a jar) until all the sugar is dissolved
4. Let the cordial rest overnight in the fridge to extract the oils from the zest
5. The next day, strain and keep in the fridge up to a week.  Add an ounce of vodka to keep up to a month.

For cocktails, try a play on a French 75

1.5 oz Copper and Kings Craft Brandy- Try it this Saturday the 10th from 3-6pm 

1 oz cordial

Sparkling wine-I suggest Mas Fi Cava, on sale through the weekend for only $8.09 a bottle!

Mas Fi Cava, Copper and Kings Craft Brandy, Koval Gin

Shake brandy and cordial with ice, strain into a wine glass, top with sparking wine!

If you’re not into dark spirits, try a take on a negroni

combine in a glass:

2 oz Koval Gin, try is this Friday the 9th, 4-6pm

.75 oz cordial

.5 oz Tattersall Bitter Orange

Bitter, sweet, and zesty!