Fresh Blood Orange Cocktails to Herald the Peak of Blood Orange Season

Although the winter citrus season was off to a late start in 2012, markets are beginning to be flooded with a wealth of gorgeous citrus fruits, beckoning bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts to serve up drinks highlighting the fresh juices. One such blink-and-you’ll-miss-it fruit is the vaunted blood orange, with its namesake sanguine hue and intoxicating aroma and taste.

Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur is a premium liqueur made with native Sicilian Sanguinello blood oranges picked at the peak of ripeness, bottling the magic for year-round enjoyment. The peak of this fleeting season, however, marks the occasion for pert, luscious cocktails made with both fresh blood oranges and Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur—a bracing remedy for the winter doldrums!

Accomplished San Francisco bartender and Solerno Brand Ambassador Jackie Patterson has concocted an array of cocktail recipes to herald the peak of the season. I hope you have the opportunity to try her recipes, and feel free to contact me if you would like any images or further information about Solerno!

Star Ruby
1 oz Solerno
1 oz fresh blood orange juice
1 oz Lillet Rouge
1 oz Hendrick’s Gin
Shake ingredients with ice and fine strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

Blood Orange Fizz
1 oz Solerno
1 oz Hendrick’s Gin
½ oz fresh blood orange juice
¾ oz fresh lemon juice
½ oz simple syrup
½ oz egg white
1 oz soda water
2 drops orange flower water
Dry shake all ingredients except soda. Hard shake with ice and fine strain into a chilled fizz glass that already has the 1 oz of soda water in the bottom of the glass. Garnish with 2 drops of orange flower water.

Blood Orange Zinger
1 oz Stoli O
1 oz Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur
1 oz fresh blood orange juice
½ oz simple syrup
½ oz fresh lemon juice
4 oz ginger beer
Shake ingredients except ginger beer with ice. Strain into a tall glass over fresh ice, fill with Ginger Beer and stir to incorporate. Garnish with a blood orange slice and a chunk of candied ginger.

Neroli
1 ½ oz Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur
½ oz Aperol
1 oz fresh orange juice (or blood orange juice!)
1 ¾ oz Prosecco
Build ingredients over ice and stir to incorporate and chill. Garnish with a blood orange slice.

Blood Orange Bellini
1 oz blood orange juice
2 oz Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur
3 oz Prosecco
Shake the Solerno and blood orange juice in a cocktail shaker with ice. Fine strain into a Champagne flute and fill with Prosecco.

Solerno & Sparkling
1 oz Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur
5 oz dry sparkling wine
Pour over ice in a tall glass and garnish with several thinly sliced blood orange wheels.