Blood Orange Bourbon Sparkler

This post is part of our restricted diet series from Beth of Tasty Yummies.

With winter upon us, one of my favorites of the citrus season are blood oranges. They are slightly sweeter, a little tart and have the most beautiful color to them. For my money, I find that out of all citrus fruits a blood orange lends itself the best to juices, cocktails and other drinks. And the beautiful vibrant hue present in any cocktail crafted with it makes it that much more appealing.

Like all tasty food, a good cocktail is as much about how beautiful it looks and smells, as it is the incredible taste. Blood oranges, although a winter citrus, for me always bring to mind a hint of summer, a reminder of the warmer, sunnier times. This simple, flavorful cocktail is a wonderful treat for winding down a cold, wintery day with just a little bit of sparkle and sunshine!

Blood Orange Bourbon Sparkler

serves 2

1/2 cup freshly squeezed blood orange juice

2 ounces bourbon

Ice cubes

Prosecco or other sparkling wine

Fresh mint & orange wedges (slices or zest), for garnish

Options:

Add 2 teaspoons all-natural sweetener, like maple syrup or agave, if desired

Opt for sparkling water instead of wine, if you’d like

Instructions:

Add the blood orange juice, the bourbon and ice (and sweetener if you’re using it) to a cocktail shaker and give it a good shake shake shake.

Strain into two glasses and top with the sparkling wine, garnish with fresh mint and an orange wedge, slice or zest.

For more of Beth’s recipes visit her blog Tasty Yummies.

More healthy recipes from the BLDG 25 Blog.