So let me start this off by saying, I am not usually a fan of gin & tonics. I don’t like the juniper-y taste of most gins and I’m pretty sure a bartender will laugh at you if you ask for diet tonic water, so I usually stay away. But, great news — you can customize G&T’s at home to your liking! Which is exactly what I did for this month’s low carb cocktail.
This month, I crafted a low carb rosemary grapefruit gin & tonic using only four ingredients — three of which may already be in your kitchen! This summertime cocktail doesn’t just taste good, it looks good too. It’s like the really pretty girl at the party where you stop and stare for a minute and think to yourself, “honestly, how does she do it?”. I mean a beautiful light purple cocktail? Revolutionary.
For this cocktail, I used Empress Gin from Top Shelf Wine & Spirits in Las Vegas, I told them about my aversion to the taste of gin and they recommended Empress (which also happened to be the coolest looking color). The vibrant shade of this drink comes from the addition of butterfly pea blossoms during gin’s distilling process, resulting in a deep violet tone. The addition of citrus changes the PH levels of the cocktail and transforms the color into a soft lavender-pink.
I also used diet tonic water instead of regular. Tonic generally has about 30g~ of carbohydrates for a 12oz bottle. Using diet tonic water with about 2g~ cuts out the majority of carbohydrates and still leaves you with a great tasting drink. Diet tonic is sold in most grocery stores and always be sure to check the nutrition facts for accurate carbohydrate information!
ROsemary Grapefruit Gin & Tonic
Serves 1
INGREDIENTS
- 1.5 oz Empress Gin
- 1.5 oz of fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice
- 2 oz of Diet Tonic Water
- Grapefruit slice and rosemary sprig for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place a cocktail glass in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- In a cocktail shaker, combine grapefruit juice and gin and shake with ice.
- Pour over ice and top with tonic water.
- Garnish with grapefruit slice and rosemary sprig, stir & enjoy!
- (For a gradient effect, add gin after grapefruit and tonic water.)
Be sure to tag me in your photos with the hashtag #CupofOjCocktail, discover all of my monthly low carb cocktail recipes, and stay tuned for a brand new recipe next month!