Cocktail: Summer Cosmopolitan

A traditional cosmopolitan is a vodka drink with triple sec (specifically Cointreau), cranberry juice and lime. This fruity take ditches the triple sec for homemade bitter orange syrup and replaces vodka with the more botanical gin. I used Dry Fly gin, a small-batch gin distilled in Washington state. The resulting cocktail is a lovely mellow shade of pink.

Summer Cosmopolitan

1.5 oz. gin
1.5 oz. cranberry juice
1 oz. bitter orange syrup (recipe below)
1 oz. fresh-squeezed orange juice
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 lime, juiced

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake well and pour into martini glass.

Addendum: I realized after posting this that I neglected to explain how to make the bitter orange syrup. My apologies. Here it is:

Bitter Orange Syrup

1 orange
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar

Remove orange peel with a vegetable peeler (eat the orange, you only need the peel). Add peel, water and sugar to a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat until mixture simmers, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and allow to steep for about 1/2 hour. Strain out the orange peel and store in refrigerator (should keep for a couple weeks).

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