Blood Oranges are one of my favorite things to buy at my weekly trip to the Santa Monica farmers market. (when they are in season of course!) They make me so happy. Their vibrant color is just fantastic and the juice from a Blood Orange makes a gorgeous looking cocktail. My boyfriend is quite the mixologist and loves experimenting with different kinds of cocktails. He also has an obsession with everything basil. So it only made sense that when I brought home these blood oranges that he makes a Basil Infused Blood Orange Cocktail. It’s the perfect drink for Valentine’s Day, or any other day for that matter. Why you ask? Because its awesome and refreshing and I am all about the herb infused drinks!
These cocktails will be on my Valentine’s Day menu along with some grilled sea bass with a Blood Orange and Champagne Beurre Blanc and my Mascapone and Chantrelle Risotto – I’m feeling fancy, what can I say?!? And I have about 10 pounds of blood oranges that need to be used STAT! What other kinds of things do you make with Blood Oranges? Do you bake with their juice? Let me know – I forsee a lot of Blood Orange recipes in my future!
Basil Infused Blood Orange Cocktail
Ingredients
- 4 oz. premium vodka
- 1/2 oz. triple sec
- 1 oz. basil simple syrup
- 8 oz. blood orange juice
- 1 cup ice
Instructions
- For the Basil Simple Syrup: Combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water into a sauce pan with 10 basil leaves. Bring to a rolling boil and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from stove and let the basil infuse the syrup for 2 hours while it cools. Store at room temperature
- For the Basil Infused Blood Orange Cocktail: Combine all the ingredients in a cocktail shaker and shake for 10 seconds until chilled. Strain out the ice and serve in cocktail glasses.
Gorgeous cocktail, Gaby, and I love the flavors you used! Perfect for Valentine’s Day!
Just beautiful, and so creative!
I just had a blood orange the other day…amazing! I can’t wait to try it 🙂
This looks amazing! I’m putting down on my list of drinks to try. I hope to make it to the market before all the blood oranges are gone!
This is a great use for a few of those blood oranges. I made it last week and loved the flavors! http://smittenkitchen.com/2011/02/blood-orange-olive-oil-cake/
Very Red! How about Matt’s Blood Orange Caramels – and they also make a great bellini – bottoms up and happy heart day my friend x
Happy Valentine’s day my friend! This blood orange cocktail looks wonderful 🙂 Hope you have a fun day. xo
What a beautiful cocktail! I can’t wait to try it…orange is one of my all-time favorites!
Happy Valentine’s Day too!
Can you show up in my kitchen with one of these right about… now?
What a gorgeous cocktail!
Great drink! I love blood oranges too but have such a hard time finding them.
Just what I am going to need this weekend!
YUM! GORGEOUS pics!!! I LOVE blood oranges and came up with a FUN cocktail recipe for them too. Hope you have time to stop by my blog to check it out:
http://muybuenocookbook.wordpress.com/2011/02/09/el-chupacabra-martini/
This looks fantastic Gaby! Hope you had a great Valentine’s Day!
Yum and beautiful!!! 🙂
beautiful drink! I’m not a cocktail sort of person, but this looks tempting!
Mmmmm. Sitting on the lanai, what could be better if I had one of these in my hand?
That is a beautiful picture & the cocktail sounds refreshing & sharp, just how I like my cocktails. Will have to try this one out.
soooooo fun!! and i am DYING to try
I love blood oranges, they have such an amazing color. Sassy Radish posted a Meyer lemon and blood orange marmalade the other day, it looks delicious! If I had 10 pounds of blood oranges, I would certainly give it a try. Here’s the link: http://www.sassyradish.com/2011/02/meyer-lemon-and-blood-orange-marmalade/
A beautiful cocktail, and a beautiful photograph, too! Vodka is not typically my drink of choice, but combined with a basil simple syrup I just might have to give this one a try. I’m going crazy with the blood orange cocktails these days, too, making the most of the end of the season, though my current favorite is made with gin: http://hostessdiary.wordpress.com/2011/04/06/blood-orange-cocktails-redux/