- 50ml Gin
- 50ml Pink grapefruit juice
- Hefty dash Cranberry bitters
- Dash Grapefruit bitters
- Pinch of sea salt
Shake with ice and strain into a chilled coupe, garnish with a grapefruit twist.
What’s all this about?
The RNLI are doing something called “Fish Supper“—you invite your friends round for tea and then tap them up for a donation.
Sounds like a good idea, so we thought we’d give it a whirl.
At some point I’ll probably need to decide what food to make, but naturally my first priority is booze.
A cocktail to get everyone in the mood. Something redolent of the sea. But what?
Sea Breeze would be an obvious choice, but for me often risks tipping into 90s cocktail “one shot of vodka and half a pint of juice” territory.
Salty Dog is a bit more to the point, and a bit of reading quickly revealed that it was originally gin-based rather than vodka-based. Now we’re talking.
So was born the Sea Squall: a bit lighter on the juice, red grapefruit rather than white, a pinch of salt in the drink instead of a rim, and a dash of cranberry bitters that nods to the Sea Breeze. Not bad at all.
The ingredients
Daffy’s Gin, which is new to me but has catapulted itself near the top of my list of favourite gins. Portobello Rd would also have been an excellent choice, and a natural fit for grapefruit (it is their signature serve, after all).
Fee Brothers Cranberry bitters – delicious, and not too bitter, these add loads of depth.
The Bitter Truth Grapefruit bitters – use with care (they really are bitter), but adds a lovely sharpness to boost (hopefully) the briny quality I’m shooting for.
Sea Salt – I’m hoping this bit is self-explanatory.
The Oilcan Mixologist 