Bruleed Brown Derby Cocktail
A fun twist on an old classic cocktail, this bruleed version of the Brown Derby first broils the grapefruit and sugar before mixing with bourbon and honey.
Servings 2
Calories 155kcal
Ingredients
- 1 Grapefruit
- 2 Tbsp Sugar
- 3 Oz Bourbon
- 1 Tbsp Honey
Instructions
- Place a rack in the upper part of your oven, and preheat the broiler. Line a sheet pan with foil. Cut the grapefruit horizontally into 2 halves and one thin slice cut from the very center around 1/4 inch thick.
- Place the grapefruit halves cut side up with the ring on the baking sheet. Sprinkle the sugar evenly across all three pieces. Broil for 10-15 minutes, watching carefully, until the sugar has started to brown. It's best to check every two minutes, as broiling time can vary based on your oven.
- Remove the the oven and allow the grapefruit to cool. Once cool enough to handle, squeeze the two halves into a measuring cup until you have 3 ounces of juice. If you want a very grapefruity drink, you can use more. Halve the slice into two half-moons
- In a cocktail shaker, add the grapefruit juice, bourbon, honey, and a handful of ice cubes. Shake vigorously, until the shaker is very frosty and the ingredients are well mixed.
- Strain into two snifter glasses or coupes, and garnish with the grapefruit half moons and any burnt sugar that may have ended up on the baking sheet (you can easily peel this off once it's cooled). Serve immediately.
Notes
- Like most cocktails, this scales pretty well. For each additional grapefruit, add 3 oz more bourbon and 1 more tbsp honey. Most cocktail shakers can only handle enough liquid to make two at once, so you will need to mix a few extra times.
- If your honey is cold, you may find it difficult to mix in the shaker. Be sure it's at least room temperature. If it's still difficult to mix, you can stir it into the grapefruit juice before adding to the shaker.
- For the original Brown Derby cocktail, skip the cooking step completely, and use fresh squeezed grapefruit juice.