Sweet Citrus Fizz Welcomes Spring!

Spring has sprung right? Who cares if the first day of spring saw blizzard like conditions in Colorado for a bit. Spring meant it was short lived, the sun came out in the afternoon and all of the snow disappeared by the next day. Whoo Hoo!! So I thought this would be a great cocktail to bridge from winter to spring. Filled with the bounty of winter citrus combined with a lightness that is perfect for warmer weather, this cocktail seemed the perfect end to a gorgeous warm day in Denver.

This recipe is from a charming little book I was sent for review, ‘Cocktails for the Four Seasons‘ by Jenny Park and Teri Lyn Fisher; the duo behind the popular blog ‘Spoon Fork Bacon.’  A small guide to cocktails using seasonal ingredients it has a nice blend of classic cocktails with a twist as well as some of their own original creations. All arranged by season; there are more than 50 cocktails included in this book. One thing I loved was that making these cocktails would not require you take out a 2nd mortgage on your home. I can’t tell you how many cocktails throw me for a loop with their long list of exotic ingredients. Books for home users need to recognize that they are not going to have every elixir imaginable and yet still bring a creativity to their content…this one might be just that book if you’re in the mood to start thinking beyond a margaritas mix!

While this cocktail may be categorized as ‘winter’ in the book, I found it perfect for our first day of spring and I’ll tell you, that Bruleed Lemon Wheel for garnish. I should have done more of those…SO yummy!

So grab some lemons, limes and oranges and celebrate with me. This time next year maybe I can craft one from my new Meyer Lemon tree?

Sweet Citrus Fizz

Ingredients

For the Lemon Brulee Garnish:
• 1 lemon slice
• Turbinado sugar
For the Cocktail:
• 2 oz gin
• 2 lemons, juiced
• 1 orange, juiced
• 1/2 lime, juiced
• 1 oz Grand Marnier (or any orange liqueur)
• 1 egg white
• 1 tsp powdered sugar
• 4 oz club soda, chilled

Preparation

To Make the Bruleed Lemon Wheel:
1. Place the lemon slice between layers of paper towel and gently squeeze to remove as much juice as possible.
2. Put a piece of foil on a cookie sheet; lay the lemon slice on the foil and cover liberally with the turbinado sugar.
3. Broil for a minute until the sugar just starts to brown. Turn slice over, broil other side and remove from the oven. Place the wheel on a piece of waxed paper and let cool completely.
To Make the Cocktail:
4. Place all of the cocktail ingredients except the club soda in a shaker filled with ice. Shake for 2-3 minutes until the egg whites foams into a soft meringue.
5. Strain into a Collins glass filled with ice and top off with the club soda.
6. Scoop the foam from the shaker over the top of the cocktail and garnish with the lemon wheel.

2.4http://www.creative-culinary.com/sweet-citrus-fizz-welcomes-spring/This recipe brought to you by Creative Culinary | A Food and Cocktail Blog | Website: www.creative-culinary.com

This book was provided to me by the publisher but all opinions are my own.