It was stinkin’ hot today in Brisbane. It was just disgusting. I really shouldn’t complain, because most summers are like this. However, this summer’s been pretty mild so far, so when a proper hot day comes along, it’s very upsetting. Right now it’s 8:30pm and there’s still an apparent temperature of 25.7°C, due to the 80% humidity. I went for a drive around in my car this afternoon, just to hang out in some air-conditioning. I’m not a beach babe. I’m not a fan of this heat. That’s why, when I got home, I knew today’s gin had to be in the form of a Bitter Summer.

Bitter Summer

• 45ml gin
• 30ml Aperol
• 45ml pink grapefruit juice
• 15ml lemon juice
• 15ml sugar syrup

 

Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a twist of grapefruit or orange.

 

I first heard about this guy at a radical Brisbane bar called Kerbside. I’ll tell you a bit more about the bar when I go in to visit later in the month. I can only assume that the bartender got this cocktail from Bombay Sapphire, as that’s the only place on the interwebs I could locate this recipe. Can you guess why it’s called a BITTER Summer?

Grapefruit in cocktails now just makes me think of this Japanese restaurant in town where I reckon about 95% of the “cocktails” on the list contain pink grapefruit. It’s… look. I don’t really care much for it. It can be okay on a hot day when you know it’s coming but it’s a bit of a shock sometimes. Particularly when you can’t escape it. I’m looking at you, Wagaya.

How pretty is that!? I pulled out a new glass I picked up a couple of days ago. Thanks, holiday sales. I’m not sure what you’d even call this glass but it’s closer to the glass these are served in at the bar, so I went with this over the suggested martini glass. PLUS, in a martini glass you wouldn’t get to see those lovely sunset colours.

I’m just… ugh. This horrendous heat. I don’t want to talk about it. Tomorrow is going to be worse, so I’m actually looking forward to going into my air-conditioned workplace on a Monday for once. The weather forecast says “Shower, possible storm. Hot.” and any time the weather forecast goes ahead and says it’s going to be hot, that means it’s going to be horrible.

I’m such a whinger. I don’t even care. This afternoon’s Bitter Summer was really refreshing and delicious, grapefruit or not. I guess because I was ready for it – even looking forward to it? I haven’t had one in a while. But yes. Good. Great. Fresh and tasty. Now I’m going to have another one and whine about the heat some more, but not here. Be grateful.

Tomorrow’s challenge: to have something that doesn’t start with ‘B’ (seems I’ve had a bit of a theme running).