Blood Orange Gin Cocktail

Note: This post was originally published on my old lifestyle blog, monicadutia.com.

I've shared a handful of drink recipes on this blog but this is hands down one of my favorites! Blood oranges are in season right now and I always end up buying at least a couple of bags around this time each year. While the oranges definitely make a great snack, they also really shine when incorporated into drinks–whether it's muddled into some kind of mocktail spritzer or in the form of freshly squeezed juice in a boozy drink like this one. I think the splash of simple syrup here is key and balances out the flavor–it's not too citrusy but also not sweet. Hopefully you love this as much as I do!

Also, if you're not a gin person: fear not! You could definitely substitute most other liquors in this recipe, but Claire, Lauren, and Emily also concocted their own blood orange cocktails–with vodka, whiskey, and tequila, respectively! If you love taking advantage of blood orange season as we clearly do, this is the time to whip 'em up!

P.S. We have this citrus juicer and while I'm not fond of frivolous kitchen appliances taking up our limited storage and counter space, this is phenomenal if you enjoy freshly squeezed juice–we regularly use it for margaritas (this is our go-to recipe) and any time we want to fully maximize extract everything from a citrus!

Blood Orange Gin Cocktail

• Ice

• 1 blood orange, freshly squeezed (you'll just need the juice–I used a strainer to easily avoid seeds)

• 1.5oz gin (I used Junipero for this)

• Splash of simple syrup

• Lime seltzer

• 1 blood orange, sliced

1. Fill a glass 3/4 of the way with ice and add the freshly squeezed blood orange juice.

2. Add gin and a splash of simple syrup. Don't use a heavy hand on the syrup unless you want the drink to be sweeter! A little goes a long way.

3. Top off with lime seltzer and a sliced blood orange.

I used 12oz glasses–definitely adjust the proportions if you're using a larger glass!