BLOOD ORANGE FIZZ

BLOOD ORANGE FIZZ

Vodka
Lemon Juice
Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur
Blood Orange simple syrup

Small and bloody oranges are in season right now. They look normal on the outside, but when you cut into them, they are bright red, extra juicy and sweet. As I found out tonight at Flemings Restaurant in Woodmere, Ohio, they also make pretty good cocktails. To make the BLOOD ORANGE FIZZ cocktail, the Flemings’ bartender put the ingredients above into a cocktail shaker, filled it with ice, and strained the pretty mixture into a short cocktail glass half-filled with ice. He topped it off with a lemon slice for garnish.

Key to the BLOOD ORANGE FIZZ cocktail was the Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur. It’s a clear, premium liqueur made with blood oranges from Sicily, picked at the peak of ripeness. I’ve discovered that there are lots of orange liqueurs out there. Still, the Solerno had its own unique flavor. It was more complex than Cointreau, my favorite orange liquor, and had a fresher orange essence. At about $45 for a 750 ml bottle, it is also more expensive than Cointreau. Still, it is worth the splurge if you are a fan of blood oranges. It mixed wonderfully with the other ingredients in the bittersweet BLOOD ORANGE FIZZ cocktail. The citrus was too strong for me at first, but after a little melt, it was just right. I enjoyed the cocktail and the company, and the beautiful night. Hope you bloody-well did too.

Drink Up^
Cocktail Connie