Blind Serpent: Grapefruit and Cucumber Tonic

Name: Blind Serpent: Grapefruit and Cucumber Tonic
Yield: 10
Cuisine: American

Recipe: Bar Marilou , New Orleans

Photo: Randy Schmidt

June 27, 2022

Light, refreshing, and spirit-free.

Quench that summertime thirst with this spirit-free grapefruit and cucumber tonic from Bar Marilou in New Orleans. Of course, there’s always the option to turn it into a cocktail, too.

Ingredients

1 1/2 oz. grapefruit cordial
1 1/2 oz. tonic water
3/4 oz. fresh lime juice
1/2 oz. cucumber juice
2-3 large basil leaves
___________________________
Grapefruit Cordial
125 grams sugar
100 grams grapefruit zest (3 grapefruits)
12 green cardamom pods
250 ml grapefruit juice
1 1/2 grams salt

Tools:shaker, strainer, fine-mesh strainer, peeler
Glass:Collins
Garnish:cucumber peel and basil sprig

Preparation

Add all of the ingredients except the tonic to an ice-filled shaker. Shake and double strain into a Collins glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish.

Grapefruit CordialAdd the grapefruit zest, sugar, and green cardamom pods to a Ziploc bag and press out the air. Refrigerate overnight. Add the juice and salt to the bag and agitate it until the sugar is completely dissolved before straining. The cordial will last for 10 days in the refrigerator.

For a CocktailDecrease the lime juice to 1/2 oz., the grapefruit cordial to 1 oz., and the tonic to 1 oz. Add 1 1/2 oz. of gin. Build and garnish as above.