Citron Soda

Here's a good (and somewhat rare for me!) non-alcoholic recipe.  It's essentially my attempt to recreate San Pellegrino Pompelmo (an actual grapefruit soda, unlike my ironically-titled Grownup version) with some enhancements to just pretty much every citrus-related ingredient I had at hand.

6 oz lemon syrup (a standard simple made with extensive lemon zest, one of my favorites)
6 oz fresh ruby red grapefruit juice
2 oz fresh lime juice
20 oz soda water
6 dashes orange bitters
6 drops orange flower water

Combine the above in a 1-liter glass bottle.

This is tasty just served over ice as a refresher.  Of course, if you want something boozy, I find that this makes a delicious gimlet/tonic hybrid if combined with dry gin (or vodka, or light rum, or white tequila) in about a 2:1 (soda : liquor) ratio.  I also like to spike this with a quick dash of Aperol or Campari for color and to back up the grapefruit flavor.

Carriage Redux

I think I'd like to recant and offer a slightly different version of the Golden Carriage as final.  This one is my favorite yet.

1 1/2 oz blended scotch
1/2 oz Matilde Poire
1/2 oz Cocchi Americano
1/2 oz dry vermouth (Noilly Prat here, other good brands would be welcome)
2 dashes orange bitters
2 dashes aromatic bitters (Angostura here)

Rinse a coupe with absinthe, let chill, etc etc.  Stir the above then strain into the coupe.  Garnish with a flamed orange peel.

This version is a little more dilute, and winds up comfortably filling the coupe.  I think I'm going to submit it for the next cocktail menu at the restaurant.

Rosa Dama

Here's a random happy accident.

1 oz resposado tequila
1 oz dry vermouth
1 oz pomegranate juice (I use POM)
1 oz soda water
2 dashes Bittercube Bolivar bitters
2 dashes ras el hanout bitters

Combine in a double old fashioned glass over rocks and stir.