Goodness Gracious Grapefruit Granita Cocktail Recipe

The balmy summer months of July and August have everyone heading outdoors to take in the warmth and soak in the good vibes. Whether it be sharing laughs at a backyard barbecue or chilling poolside with your gal pals, one of the greatest summer accessories is a cost-friendly, crowd-pleasing cocktail.

The Goodness Gracious Grapefruit Granita cocktail is your shining beacon of alcoholic hope in a sea of overly complicated, and overly expensive drink recipes. The truth is, though going out for drinks can be rough on the old wallet, crafting your own gourmet cocktails from home can cost a pretty penny, too. What you imagine is saving you money could actually be running you about the same as your favorite bar and filling your pantry with exotic ingredients to never be used again.

Save your costly cocktails, and the artisanal bitters they call for, for the colder months when shelling out cash for hard-to-find ingredients won’t impede on your festival, or festival wardrobe, budget. This grapefruit wonder satisfies your annual summer craving for icy sweetness while indulging your year-round need for a stiff drink.

The slushy, frozen granita adds a definitively summer feel and is a treat I’d go nuts for as a kid. The subtle hint of vanilla compliments the sweetness of the grapefruit while keeping the bitterness in check. This flavor is further heightened by the sprinkling of cinnamon, which also adds a beautiful visual effect, as it floats down through the rest of the dreamy, pale pink concoction, contrasted by bright green refreshing mint leaves.

This would be the perfect signature cocktail for a friend’s upcoming wedding shower or a girls’ night in! Just remember to leave yourself enough time to make and freeze the granita. For easy-to-follow instructions on the Goodness Gracious Grapefruit Granita cocktail, look below.

Ingredients

• 3 Ruby Red grapefruit
• ¾ cup icing or superfine sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• Prosecco
• Cinnamon
• Mint leaves

Instructions

1. Combine ¾ cup icing sugar with 2 cups of water in a bowl. Stir until combined.

2. Juice 3 Ruby Red grapefruit in another bowl, making sure to discard of any seeds.

3. Stir in the sugar-water mixture into the grapefruit juice. Add 2 tsp of vanilla to juice and mix well.

4. Pour grapefruit juice into a baking pan – the wider and shallower, the better. Place in freezer. Stir every 30 minutes for 4 hours. Then let rest for at least 12 hours to up to a day before serving your cocktails.

5. Scrape top layer of granita with a fork with a fluffy texture then spoon into a cocktail or wine glass, or Mason jar. I like to be generous with 5-6 tbsp but this is a matter of preference.

6. Top granita with Prosecco, sprinkle generously with cinnamon, and garnish with a few mint leaves.