3 oz. bourbon
2 oz. fresh grapefruit juice
1 oz. honey syrup*
dash of Angostura bitters
4 drops mint extract
6 drops vanilla extract
pinch of rosemary leaves
3 mint leaves
2 honey roasted grapefruit slices**
3 grapefruit rind twists
*Pour boiling water over an equal amount of honey and stir until dissolved.
**Drizzle honey over grapefruit; broil on high heat until edges are blackened.
Add one roasted grapefruit slice, mint leaves, rosemary, vanilla and mint extracts, and bitters to a cocktail shaker. Muddle with a wooden spoon until crushed.
Pour bourbon, juice, and syrup into shaker; add ice and shake well.
Finely strain into a glass. Garnish with grapefruit peel twists and the other broiled grapefruit slice.
Drink this if: A springtime sipper sounds just dandy to you. The mellow bourbon brings out the silkiness of the honey syrup, resulting in a subtly sweet cocktail. Tart grapefruit juice and aromatic herbal inclusions render the drink very refreshing while not masking the liquor’s strength. Sip and savor this drink rather than throw it back—it’s worth it! (The 3-2-1 ratio of bourbon to juice to syrup is a fine concoction on its own if you don’t have the extracts or herbs on hand.)
