Welcome to Olivelle October! As one of my favorite places in Bozeman, Olivelle is a great source of both inspiration and deliciousness, and their cooking classes are something I look forward to attending several times per year. As a fun challenge for the fall I decided to put together my own Olivelle menu in the same format, and I’ll be releasing a new addition each week. Starting with today’s cocktail, look forward to four more delightful recipes coming your way, all featuring some of my favorite Olivelle products with a sweet & spicy theme. Extra bonus: everything will be vegetarian and lactose-free in honor of one of my  best friends.

Fall came in with a bang here in Bozeman, with a mix of rain and snow all weekend and more in the forecast. Fortunately, this cocktail is a delight all year round and a great way to bring some brightness to a gray day. Even more fortunately, I’m actually on my  way  to Europe! (Don’t worry, posts are already scheduled for your enjoyment while I’m busy galavanting around another continent.)

Grapefruit is possibly my favorite citrus, favoring it over orange for mimosas and loving it in tarts and other desserts. It’s somehow both mild and sharp and doesn’t overwhelm other flavors in the same way orange and lemon often do, and lovely in its pure unsweetened form as well as in a more traditional dessert experience. Keeping on theme I’ve paired it here with the spiciness of ginger, bringing a slightly earthy profile without overwhelming the refreshing citrus.

This cocktail is light and refreshing and dangerously good, equally delightful on a warm summer day as it is on a chilly winter afternoon. A great way to make proper use of citrus season by incorporating fresh grapefruit, but also delicious if you cheat (as I did) and buy a bottle of pure juice. Sweet, tart, and spicy all at once, it’s a mouthful of complimentary flavors with every sip.

Paired with white rum, the alcohol is less of a feature and more of a light compliment to the rest of the drink, which makes it easily substitutable. If you’re not a rum fan, try using gin or vodka instead. Feeling more like a sparkly drink? Make it a mojito and top the whole thing with soda water.

Start your month off deliciously and prepare yourself for more sweet and spicy combinations headed your way.

Grapefruit Ginger Cocktail

Serves 2

Ingredients

Thai Ginger or Lime Fresco Sea Salt

4oz pure grapefruit juice (I used Simply)
3-4 oz white rum¹ 
1 1/2 oz White Ginger Simple Syrup, plus more for rimming
1/2 oz lime juice

fresh grapefruit, for garnish

Directions

1. Pour a small dollop of simple syrup on a paper towel and use to rim two cocktail glasses, then sprinkle with salt.
2. In a cocktail shaker, combine all remaining ingredients. Shake with ice until chilled, about 30 seconds.
3. Strain into rimmed glasses, and garnish with 1/2 slice of fresh grapefruit.
4. Optional: make a mojito by pouring over ice and topping with soda or seltzer water.

Notes

¹ If you are not a rum person, gin or vodka also work beautifully here.