The beautiful bottle of Gusto Organic Sicilian Blood Orange that our members can find in their October 2020 Gin of the Month box is made with organic blood oranges (pith, peel and all!) that have been harvested from the slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily. Those aromatic oranges make it an incredible tipple that’s perfect for this fragrant cocktail.
It’s a wonderful tipple that combines the rich juniper tones of gin with the deep, elegant, herbaceous flavours of sweet vermouth and the delightfully jam-like cherry notes of Cherry Mariner Liqueur. A touch of lemon juice lifts those darker notes and then Gusto Organic Sicilian Blood Orange provides an incredible orange tang that holds everything together like nothing else can.
Gusto’s Blood & Sand
Ingredients
20ml gin
15ml sweet vermouth
15ml cherry marnier
1 tsp lemon juice
Gusto Organic Sicilian Blood Orange, to top up
Wedge of fresh citrus, to garnish
Sprig of mint, to garnish
Method
Add all your ingredients to a highball glass with ice and give them a quick stir. Garnish and enjoy.
Gusto’s blood oranges, which gush with rich red juice, have all the flavours you crave on chilly October nights, or any other night of the year for that matter.
“A gin and Gusto Organic Sicilian Blood Orange tipple brings a little volcanic sunshine to the shortening nights and cooler evenings of autumn.”
The blood oranges Gusto uses in their drink have a unique flavour profile, thanks to the fact that they’re grown on a family estate in the foothills of Europe’s most active volcano.
“We source our blood oranges from the slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily where the roots of the orange trees reach deep into the volcanic soil. The unique colour and flavour of the blood oranges are enhanced by the changes in temperature on the volcano throughout the day and night. It is this volatility in temperature that makes the blood oranges blush their rich red colour. It also means no two harvests are the same – the colour varies from season to season. There is something primal and magical about our blood oranges that is missing from the more standard varieties grown around the globe.”
The ruby-red juice, peel and essential oil are blended with Devon spring water, organic agave and Fairtrade apple juice to make a drink that pairs wonderfully with gin.
“Our Gusto Sicilian Blood Orange was created with mixing in mind. We don’t over sweeten it, so the flavour of a gin is complemented rather than dominated.”
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