Grilled Grapefruit and Sage Cocktail

Grilled fruit has long been one of my secret food weapons. That’s right, I’ve been known to arrive at backyard barbecues with nothing more than a pineapple and a bag of peaches. But seriously, a little caramelization goes a long way when you’re seeking depth of flavor. In the case of the grapefruit, I wanted to evoke more of the citrus’ natural juicy sweetness, as well as some smokiness, which I’m always a fan of in cocktails – especially tequila cocktails. I spiced things up with a little fresh sage, my favorite honey syrup, lime, and Familia Camarena tequila to round out the party.

Since this year Cinco de Mayo falls on a Tuesday, I’ll be celebrating on Saturday, May 2nd. And speaking of celebrations, we’re giving away $100 gift card that you can put towards your own festivities by pledging to #SaveCinco (details below).

To enter the giveaway:

1. Pledge to Save Cinco at savecinco.com.

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GRILLED GRAPEFRUIT AND SAGE COCKTAIL

Ingredients:

For the cocktail

• 2 oz Camarena silver tequila
• 1/2 oz honey syrup
• 1/2 oz lime juice
• pinch of salt
• 1 wheel of grilled Rio Red grapefruit
• 6 fresh sage leaves
• whole sprig of fresh sage for garnish

For the honey syrup

• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup water

Directions:

For the honey syrup

• Add honey and water to a small saucepan over low heat and stir until thoroughly mixed.
• Remove from heat and let cool. Store in fridge.

For the cocktail

• Cut a Rio Red (Rio Star) grapefruit into 1/2-inch wheels and place directly onto grill over high heat. Cook for ~5 minutes or until the citrus is lightly charred, then flip and repeat on the opposite side. Remove from the grill and let cool.
• Cut one grilled grapefruit wheel in half and add it to your mixing glass.
• Add sage leaves, honey syrup, and pinch of salt to your mixing glass and lightly muddle.
• Add tequila and lime juice to your mixing glass.
• Fill mixing glass with ice and shake thoroughly for 10 seconds.
• Double strain over new ice into a tumbler glass.
• Garnish with a full sprig of fresh sage and serve.

(This post is sponsored by Familia Camarena tequila. Opinions are our own. Images by HonestlyYUM)