In our household, Chris and I share cooking duties pretty equally. Actually, during the week, he probably prepares dinner more often than I do because he is usually home first.  He has turned into quite the cook, often making pasta or pizza dough from scratch or trying one of the recipes he’s jotted down in his spiral “cooking” notebook. While we both love desserts, he isn’t interested in baking or making desserts unless it’s ice cream. What he really enjoys is making beverages, which is good since I don’t really like to make drinks.

He has become very adept at making cappucinos, lattes, and mochas on our mini-expresso machine and keeps his coffee bar well-stocked with an assortment of syrups and espresso beans. He has even made chocolate syrup from scratch for his mochas. Every morning, he “takes” my coffee order, which usually alternates between hazelnut and raspberry mochas, depending on my mood, and then delivers it to me while I’m getting ready for work. I think of him as my personal barista.

He is also quite the mixologist. In fact, he is the creator all of the cocktails that have appeared here in Daisy’s World, including this Pink Grapefruit Mojito. He started with one of my favorite desserts, grapefruit granita, and turned it into this beautiful adult beverage. I have been obsessed with grapefruit granita ever since I adapted a recipe from David Lebovitz’s book, The Perfect Scoop. One afternoon, as we were enjoying some of the granita, he exclaimed, “You know, this would be really good with some alcohol.” I respond, “Like vodka or tequila?“, only half interested since I thought the granita was perfect as it was. “No“, he said, “I was thinking of making a mojito.”

Before I knew it, I could hear him scurrying around the kitchen and began to smell the distinct fragrance of mint. A few minutes later, he came back in the room with a grin on his face. “Taste this,” he said. Of course, he was right. The mint and grapefruit are a heavenly match in this cool, refreshing drink.

And just like that, a cocktail is born.

Pink Grapefruit Mojito
Yields 1 cocktail

Ingredients:
lime wedge
sugar, to rim glass
6-7 mint leaves
1 ounce simple syrup, or more, to taste
1 1/2 ounces white rum
5 ounces Pink Grapefruit Granita (click here for recipe) or chilled grapefruit juice
ice cubes, if using grapefruit juice
Club soda, as needed to fill glasses

Method:
Run the lime wedge around the rim of the glass. Dip rim in sugar.

Tear mint leaves and place in bottom of glass. Add simple syrup and muddle to release juice from mint leaves. Add rum and pink grapefruit granita or grapefruit juice. If using grapefruit juice, taste and adjust amount of simple syrup to taste and add a few ice cubes. Top off with club soda and stir.

Garnish with a slice of grapefruit.

© Daisy’s World. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Daisy’s World with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.