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The Belle Pamplemousse. (Photo courtesy of Remy Cointreau U.S.A.)

Yellow or pink, no matter which you prefer the fact remains that it’s peak grapefruit season. Or, as it’s more fun in French: pamplemousse. That hit of citrus is just the thing to turn gray days to sunny (at least in your minds eye). But while it makes an excellent central mixer in tall cocktails, from Palomas to Greyhounds, when combined with other fruit-forward flavors, it can read like honey drizzled on half a grapefruit, all tart and sweet at the same time.

We came across this recipe for the Belle Pamplemousse from our friends over at Remy Cointreau, employing a lovely spirt from their catalogue that more people ought to keep handy on their bars: pear liqueur.

Orchard fruit notes here add a lovely, gentle layer of flavor that play well with seasonal grapefruit, and pear in particular has a gorgeous quality to it that elevates a drink’s complexity in the gentlest of ways. Their version, Belle de Brillet, can be easily found ’round our parts, in Westhampton Beach’s Hamptons Wine Shoppe, Southampton’s Bottle Hampton and East Hampton’s Race Lane Wine & Spirits

The recipe here calls for grapefruit soda, which is perfectly fine. However, if you’d prefer to go fresh, sub in 2 1/2 ounces of fresh pink grapefruit juice and about 2 ounces of club soda to get a similar (but more vibrant) hit of the seasonal citrus. And toast to scurvy-less February!

Belle Pamplemousse

Prep Time 1 minute
Serves 1 cocktail

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 oz Belle de Brillet pear liqueur
  • 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
  • 3 1/2 oz pink grapefruit soda
  • 1 oz brut-style prosecco; feel free to substitute club if you want to lighten the drink up
  • 1 pink grapefruit peel

Directions

  • In a wine glass with ice, pour in the pear liqueur, lemon juice, grapefruit soda and prosecco. Give it a little stir to combine.
  • Garnish with the pink grapefruit peel. Salut!
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