Drink Skinny: Southern Style Gin Cocktails
PIN IT!Hi friends! I can’t believe it’s already Thursday. Now, Thursday is great on it’s own accord (so close to the weekend), but this Thursday? One for the record books. See, I have a small little interview this afternoon with, you know, just this guy.
[source]
I’m going to be talking to him about the next season of No Reservations and um, can I just say, I LOVE MY JOB? Because I do. I’m so excited. So, guys, if you have any questions you want to ask the king of snark, sass and Travel Channel, EMAIL ME [realistic.nutritionist@gmail.com].
Despite my excitement for that, I’m just as excited to share these southern style gin cocktails with you! After perusing my recipe database (again, website revision) I realized something that just didn’t make me feel good. And that something is the fact that I don’t have ANY cocktail recipes. Not even one.
See that’s just plain wrong, given how much I enjoy dabbling in the occasional libation and given how many drinks I’m made for work! I mean, one entire month of my job was devoted to drinks.
So, I’m sorry for holding out on you guys. To make up for my lack of boozy delights, I’ve sharing TWO with you. Thanks to the lovely folks at Beefeater Gin for sending me some delicious samples to try!
Now, you’re probably wondering what constitutes them as “southern style.” And really? I have no actual answer. I just like to think that when I’m down in Charleston, wearing my head to toe Lilly Pulitzer, I’ll be sipping these fancy, elegant gin cocktails while I stroll down Broad Street.
Hey, a girl can dream. Either way, these drinks just remind me of those long, hot, southern summer nights where you’ve covered in sticky sweat and are being swarmed by mosquitoes but wouldn’t dream of being anywhere else.
For those who know me, I grew up in the Midwest but went to college in Georgia. It was there I fell madly, head over heels in love with the south and decided that’s where I was going to live. Minus this little stint in the nation’s capital, I know I’ll be calling sweet south home again soon.
And when I do? Y’all better believe I’ll be sipping on these tasty cocktails on my veranda.
And clearly they’ll be served up in mason jars. I mean, come on y’all, what kind of Southern would I be if there weren’t any mason jars?
Cucumber recipe adapted from Saveur.
Southern Style Gin Cocktails
Yields 2 cocktails each
Prep time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
Grapefruit gin & juice:
- 4 ounces gin
- 6 ounces freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
- Mint leaves
- Dash of sugar (optional for sweetness*)
Cucumber cocktail:
- 4 ounces gin
- 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 1/2 large lemons)
- 1/4 cucumber, thinly sliced
- Splash of tonic water
Directions:
- To make the grapefruit drink, use a citrus juicer to extract juice from grapefruit. Remove seeds. Pour grapefruit juice into a chilled martini mixer with ice. Add gin and shake. Pour mixture over ice cubes in a chilled glass and garnish with fresh mint.
- To make the cucumber drink, pour gin, lemon juice and cucumber slices in a chilled martini mixer with ice, shake well. Pour mixture into a chilled glass filled with ice and top with tonic water, stir with a spoon. Garnish with thin slices of lemon and cucumber.
Nutritional information for ONE cocktail:
Grapefruit:
Calories: 185
Fat: 0
Carbohydrates: 10
Protein: 1
Fiber: 0
Weight Watchers Points + pts: 5
For the cucumber drink:
Calories: 165
Fat: 0
Carbohydrates: 10
Fiber: 0
Protein: 0
Weight Watchers Points + pts: 6
Claire
Tags:cocktail recipes, drink skinny, Easter cocktail recipes, Easter Recipes, featured, light cocktail recipes, signature cocktail recipes, skinny cocktail recipes, weight watchers recipes
One (or maybe two), of these beautiful cocktails would totally hit the spot right now!
Oh, the drinks look great, too. Especially on a hot summer day!
These cocktails look perfect. Love a good drink, and they are so much cuter in a mason jar! Where did you grow up? I am from WI originally.