No disrespect to the all-powerful citric trio of lemon, lime and orange, but if you really want a good sweet-tart cocktail, then grapefruit is where it’s at. With its bracing flavor and sunshiny brightness, the bulbous fruit plays well with almost any spirit from tequila to rum to vodka. Here, the best cocktails made with grapefruit juice.
Made simply with grapefruit soda and tequila, the simple Paloma is the national cocktail of Mexico. No matter what brand of tequila you prefer, vibrant young blancos and mellow reposados all pair wonderfully with the bittersweet fruit soda and a squeeze of lime juice.
The Essentials
Tequila
Lime Juice
Grapefruit Soda
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Old Papa Hemingway was initially ambivalent toward the Daiquiri when he first sampled one at La Floridita in Havana, Cuba. But when a bartender nixed the sugar, upped the rum and added fresh grapefruit juice, he changed his tune. He didn’t just like the new variation, he regularly downed six of these strong drinks every day.
The Essentials
White Rum
Fresh Lime Juice
Fresh Grapefruit Juice
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The two-ingredient Greyhound made with vodka and grapefruit juice is a go-to classic. But add a salted rim and you have yourself a seriously dynamic drink with a zingy, salty-sour flavor.
The Essentials
grapefruit juice
Vodka
Salt
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With a labor-intensive garnish and several types of rum in the mix, it’s easy to overlook the secret to this tiki stalwart’s sour-sweet taste: grapefruit. It brings everything together in one wonderfully frosty cooler.
The Essentials
Rum
Grapefruit juice
honey syrup
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Cranberry juice may dominate the Sea Breeze, but grapefruit juice adds depth and tart complexity to the otherwise straightforward, vodka-based drink.
The Essentials
Vodka
Grapefruit Juice
Cranberry Juice
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This variation on a Hemingway Daiquiri swaps the maraschino for Campari and the rum for tequila, for a bright and zesty afternoon cocktail. The bittersweet Campari meshes seamlessly with tart grapefruit, while any Paloma drinker knows the power combo of grapefruit and tequila.
The Essentials
Silver Tequila
Grapefruit Juice
Campari
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Grapefruit is one half of the fruity duo that turns the Pink Martini its vibrant shade, along with pomegranate juice. The tart juice prevents the cocktail from turning into a saccharine, pink mess.
The Essentials
grapefruit juice
vodka
lime juice
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