“Where would we be without salt?” – James Beard

Citrus Cocktails

We’re nearing the end of our time in California but before we left I had to share with you a bit of the citrus-inspired cocktails we’ve been sipping while here.

First there’s the perfected Whiskey Sour that my dad has been working on ever since they came to Palm Desert and became the proud owners of a booming lemon tree. The branches hang heavy with large fruit so, in order to ease their load, I pluck the biggest lemons and walk a few feet from the trunk into the kitchen. One of these lemons provides more than enough juice for one Sour. This classic cocktail goes down easy when mixed with smokey whiskey and a bit of simple syrup.

The next cocktail comes from the grapefruit tree resting comfortably in between the neighbor’s house and my parent’s. Being from Washington I’m used to seeing trees loaded with apples but for me citrus is only available in the grocery store. I will buy the little oranges with their leaves still attached just to feel more connected to its origin. Now I find myself contemplating leaving my clothes and stuffing my suitcase with all the citrus I’ve picked. The first to get tucked into the case would be the grapefruit. I had little hope for them as I reached to grab one from the tree and felt a tough skin with little give. But as I cut into the bright yellow exterior the inside glowed a soft pink, the juice ran freely and the sweetness overwhelmed. I take it as a sign that I’ve reached adulthood now that I now longer take my grapefruit with sugar covering its entire surface. Or maybe I just needed to have great grapefruit. My next thought was tequila and then the grapefruit margarita was born.

In two short days we’ll be back to the rain and cold and back to driving to the store for my citrus fix but I think I’ve consumed enough vitamin C (and tequila) to keep me satisfied for quite some time.

 

Whiskey Sour

This is the recipe my dad came up with after trying many variations. He doesn’t use the best whiskey, the sugar in his simple syrup isn’t fully dissolved and he rarely measures and yet, it’s one of the best cocktails I’ve had. Nice work, dad. 

1 part whiskey

1 part simple syrup

1/2 part fresh lemon juice

 

Combine this all in a martini glass with crushed ice. Garnish with sliced lemon or a twirl of the peel.

My dad thinks they are best served with a good cigar (or a cheap one, he adds).

 

Grapefruit Margarita

1 part grapefruit juice

1 part tequila

1/2 part Cointreau

 

Salt the rim of a margarita glass and add the ingredients. Stir and then add ice. Garnish with a thin slice of grapefruit.

 

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31 Comments

  1. Posted February 21, 2013 at 9:52 PM | Permalink

    Looks fabulous. I like how the whiskey sour is great with either a good cigar or a cheap one! ;)

  2. Posted February 21, 2013 at 9:56 PM | Permalink

    Leave the clothes…bring the citrus!! xo

  3. Posted February 22, 2013 at 12:02 AM | Permalink

    Great pictures! I can almost taste the lemons!

  4. Posted February 22, 2013 at 5:20 AM | Permalink

    Love your story surrounding the citrus fruits!

  5. Posted February 22, 2013 at 5:56 AM | Permalink

    Your dad’s comment about the cheap cigar made me laugh and laugh and laugh – are all dads everywhere just the same?! These cocktails look amazing and the images are gorgeous!

  6. Posted February 22, 2013 at 6:47 AM | Permalink

    Stunning, stunning, stunning! The wood surface, the light in the first photo, ahhh. Love. Now, only if citrus trees grew in Colorado. :)

  7. Posted February 22, 2013 at 7:41 AM | Permalink

    you had me at margarita. perfect tgif cocktails. thank you for brightening my cold and grey nyc day!

  8. Jenette
    Posted February 22, 2013 at 8:38 AM | Permalink

    These look amazing. I’m going to have to try them both. I live in Arizona and have a beautiful overflowing lemon tree in the backyard and my mom has a grapfruit tree. I love your comparision to apple trees that you are used to in Washington as I am used to the citrus trees here and have yet to ever see a real apple tree! Thanks for sharing the yummy recipes!

  9. Jenette
    Posted February 22, 2013 at 8:43 AM | Permalink

    These look amazing! I live in Arizona and have a beautiful overflowing lemon tree in my backyard and my mom has a grapefruit tree. I love your take on seeing apple trees loaded as I am used to seeing the citrus trees loaded where I live and have never seen a tree with apples on it! I’ll be trying out these recipes this weekend, thanks for sharing!

  10. Posted February 22, 2013 at 8:53 AM | Permalink

    you can always buy new clothes – freshly picked citrus??? priceless!!

  11. Posted February 22, 2013 at 9:04 AM | Permalink

    Your blog is so beautiful and this drink looks divine!

  12. Amy
    Posted February 22, 2013 at 9:04 AM | Permalink

    My husband’s favorite story of me as a young girl: My grandparents lived in Bakersfield and had a lemon tree (and a pool, and a olive tree, an palm trees…coming from Chicago, it was heaven). When I was 4 or 5, we went out for a visit and as we packed back up, my mom picked up my little personal suitcase to find it was VERY heavy. She hasn’t remembered it being so heavy, so she opened it up to find the entire.thing.filled with lemons. My clothes had been shoved into a cabinet in the room I was staying in. To my little lemon-loving mind (I did, and still do, eat them raw) I had plenty of clothes at home and not NEARLY enough lemons.

  13. Posted February 22, 2013 at 9:06 AM | Permalink

    Amy – I LOVE that story. So tempted to do the same.

  14. Posted February 22, 2013 at 9:06 AM | Permalink

    Karen – Thanks!

  15. Posted February 22, 2013 at 9:07 AM | Permalink

    Debra – I’m so glad you agree.

  16. Posted February 22, 2013 at 9:07 AM | Permalink

    Jenette – I’ll trade you apples for citrus. :)

  17. Posted February 22, 2013 at 9:08 AM | Permalink

    Hayley – He added that as he was reading through the post. I couldn’t not put it in. haha.

  18. Posted February 22, 2013 at 9:43 AM | Permalink

    Stunning photos! I love your use of light and darkness.

  19. Posted February 22, 2013 at 11:59 AM | Permalink

    Wonderful! I am now growing two lemon varieties (as well as lime and kaffir lime) in pots on my verandah. Am looking forward to trying these!

  20. Posted February 22, 2013 at 2:59 PM | Permalink

    this looks fabulous and so yummy

  21. Posted February 22, 2013 at 9:19 PM | Permalink

    yay for citrus. I’ve got some meyer lemons on my kitchen table begging to be used. I think they’ll be perfect.

  22. Posted February 23, 2013 at 6:49 PM | Permalink

    You don’t see many people pulling off a food photo with direct sunlight and shade – and you have done it perfectly! Fantastic post.

  23. Jenny Schlo
    Posted February 23, 2013 at 11:01 PM | Permalink

    My folks recently moved to Napa, when they come back to visit us in Seattle they now bring bags and bags of citrus of all sorts from their yard to give us… oranges, grapefruit, lemons, limes… I get to visit them over Easter, I will bring these delicious cocktail recipes with me! Thanks for the ever-wonderful blog :)

  24. Posted February 24, 2013 at 6:39 PM | Permalink

    Beautiful, beautiful photos! I love citrus in the winter more than anything- it reminds me that bright and sunny days are never too far away. And as for citrus with tequila– match made in heaven. Loved this.

  25. Posted February 24, 2013 at 11:08 PM | Permalink

    I’m not that good at making drinks but it has been on my list lately to make something new with blood oranges. This can be the inspiration to go ahead and do it! Love love winter citrus season.

  26. Posted February 25, 2013 at 6:01 AM | Permalink

    I am counting down the days until we head to California for Easter and this has just made me even more desperate to get on that plane. Simply beautiful.

  27. Posted February 25, 2013 at 12:29 PM | Permalink

    Oh, I love the idea of the grapefruit margarita and such beautiful photos!

  28. Posted February 25, 2013 at 12:38 PM | Permalink

    One of the things we love about Palm Springs is the giant grapefruit tree in our friend’s yard. We came home with 3 34 gallon containers full of them yesterday – there will be lots of margaritas in our future! Hope y’all had a wonderful time!

  29. Posted February 26, 2013 at 1:21 PM | Permalink

    Denise – I wish I could have brought some back with me. I’ll be pleading with my parents to fill their cars.

  30. Posted February 26, 2013 at 1:22 PM | Permalink

    Kathryn – Can I come? I already miss the sun and citrus.

  31. Posted March 3, 2013 at 6:48 PM | Permalink

    These look perfect. And your photography is amazing!

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