Grapefruit Cocktail
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This vibrant grapefruit cocktail recipe is a great option for hot days when you want a crisp, bubbly sipper that looks beautiful in a glass.
I first tried this grapefruit cocktail at a pool party at my neighbor Tracy’s house, and I’ve seen it pop up on restaurant menus all summer long. It’s ultra-refreshing and easy to drink. Made with fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice, vodka, triple sec, and lemon-lime soda, the cocktail is a riff on the popular orange crush drink that originated on Maryland’s Eastern shore at Harborside Bar & Grill, where the bartenders squeeze the juice to order using an old-fashioned citrus press.
What You’ll Need To Make a Grapefruit Cocktail
To make a grapefruit cocktail, you’ll need grapefruit juice, vodka, triple sec (orange liqueur), and lemon-lime soda
For best results, I recommend using fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice with a bit of pulp — you’ll need two large grapefruits to make two cocktails — but if you’d rather use store-bought, look for 100% fresh-squeezed bottled juice with no sweeteners or preservatives.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Juice the fruit. Squeeze the fresh grapefruits using a citrus juicer to extract all the juice. I like this juicer.
Pro Tip: To get the most juice out of your grapefruits, roll them firmly against your kitchen counter with the palm of your hand before cutting them. Also, warming them up slightly by soaking them in warm tap water for a few minutes also helps loosen up the membranes.
Step 2: Shake, strain, and serve. Pour the grapefruit juice, vodka, and triple sec into an ice-filled cocktail shaker, shake vigorously, and strain into a glass filled with ice before topping with lemon-lime soda and a grapefruit slice garnish; alternatively, scale up and mix all ingredients directly in a chilled pitcher to serve a crowd.
Pro Tip: If you are scaling the recipe up for a pitcher to serve a crowd, don’t add ice directly to the mix ahead of time. The ice melts quickly and will dilute the bright citrus flavors and water down the cocktail, so it’s best to keep the pitcher chilled and pour the drinks over fresh ice in individual glasses.
More Fun, Festive Cocktails You May Like
Grapefruit Cocktail
Ingredients
- 4 oz (½ cup) fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice, from 1 large grapefruit
- 1 oz (2 tablespoons) vodka
- ½ oz (1 tablespoon) triple sec (orange liqueur)
- 2 oz (¼ cup) lemon-lime soda
Instructions
- Pour the grapefruit juice, vodka, and triple sec into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake vigorously, and strain into a cocktail glass filled with ice. Top with the lemon-lime soda and garnish with a grapefruit slice. (Alternatively, if you’d like to prepare a pitcher instead of making individual cocktails, adjust the quantities for the number of drinks you need. Mix the juice, vodka, triple sec and lemon-lime soda in a pitcher, keep cool, then pour into prepared glasses over ice when ready to serve.)
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Hi, Jenn,
Could I use refrigerated grapefruit juice from the store cooler instead of fresh grapefruits when making a number of these instead of purchasing a grapefruit for each drink—they are pretty pricey.
I like this best with fresh, but bottled grapefruit juice will work too. Hope you enjoy!
not allowed grapefruit when on cholesterol meds
do I change anything other than the juice to make it an orange crush
Hi Carol, that’s the only change you’ll need to make. Just keep in mind that it will be sweeter than it would be with grapefruit but should still be great. Please LMK how it turns out!
Received grapefruit from Texas as a gift and decided to make this cocktail yesterday to celebrate the unexpectedly warm weather. Had the other ingredients on hand, except for the lemon-lime soda. Subbed 1/4 ounce agave syrup (1:1 water and agave) and a splash of club soda. Delicious! Thanks for bringing a bit of summer to March, Jenn.
I LOVE this! Used Simply Grapefruit and Sprite Zero (to save some calories)…so delicious! This is my weekly treat. Thank you, Jen for another perfect recipe ❤️
Couldn’t believe how much we loved this one!
One of my all time favorite summer cocktails. Try it with Deep Eddy ruby red grapefruit vodka instead of plain. You won’t regret it!
Delicious! Always looking for grapefruit cocktails/sangrias
Thanks for another great tasting recipe.
I use soda water instead of lemon-lime soda. It is the perfect crush recipe.
Delicious and refreshing – thanks Jenn!!
I just made one….liking it!
I’ve been dying to learn mezcal cocktails I think I can turn this into one. Smoky grapefruit….not so sure
Hi Jen,
Would tequila work in lieu of the vodka? If not, what do you recommend?
Thanks,
Janelle
Yep 🙂