Juice of a Few Flowers

Wow! It’s been a while! I have been on vacation, and it’s taken a bit longer than usual to “come back to reality…”

I had a lovely time at the beach – filled with the most perfect weather a girl could ask for!

In honor of the beach, and cocktails that come with the ocean I am sharing Ina’s Juice of a Few Flowers cocktail. This is great for the morning if you are having a brunch, and tired of the usual Bellini/mimosa combo! This citrus cocktail is filled with juices and a tinge of vodka. It could be made in a large batch, and served from a beautiful glass dispenser – I would add a little club soda for some sparkle and fizz!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (2 oranges)
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed pink grapefruit juice (1 grapefruit)
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon)
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes)
• 1 cup good vodka, such as Grey Goose or Finlandia (optional)
• Extra lemon juice
• Granulated sugar
• Fresh mint sprigs

Directions

Combine the orange juice, grapefruit juice, lemon juice, lime juice, and vodka, if using, in a pitcher. Dip the rim of 6 martini glasses first in a dish with lemon juice and then a dish with sugar. Set aside to dry.

When ready to serve, place ice cubes in a cocktail shaker, add the cocktail mixture to fill the shaker three-quarters full, and shake for about 30 seconds. It’s important to shake for a full 30 seconds to get the drink very cold and dilute it slightly with the ice. Pour into the sugared martini glasses and garnish with a sprig of mint. Continue filling the shaker with ice and cocktail mixture until all the drinks are poured. Serve ice cold.

This was delightful. Crisp, clean and quite refreshing. Perfect late afternoon drink that can easily be consumed anytime of the day!