This summer, we’re cooling off with two seasonal fruit cocktails suggested by Héloïse Brion.
In her delicious latest book (1), culinary author Héloïse Brion, aka MissMaggie’s Kitchen, offers two homemade cocktail recipes based on notable seasonal fruits. The first, can be drunk with grapefruit and rosemary or mixed with a little vodka (or gin). The second one is offered without watermelon and tarragon, but it’s not clear what would stop you from licking the white alcohol.
For two glasses, you will need:
- 12 cl of water
- 120 grams of brown sugar
- 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
- 1 grapefruit and 1/4 for garnish
- Sparkling water (citrus flavored or plain)
- A few ice cubes
- For the alcoholic version: 10cl vodka.
Place the water and brown sugar in a saucepan over low heat. Add 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary. Allow to simmer for two minutes and set aside, leaving it to turn off the heat. When the syrup cools, remove the rosemary. In glasses, place ice cubes and pour two tablespoons of syrup into each glass. Add half the grapefruit juice each time, then the sparkling water, on top (or vodka and water). Mix
Caramelize the grape quarters with a little brown sugar, cut into slices and place on the skin. Add two to three pieces to each glass, as well as a sprig of rosemary. Serve very cold.
For the three glasses, you will need:
- 550g honeydew melon, peeled and coarsely chopped
- 4 to 5 sprigs of tarragon
- 1/2 teaspoon of honey
- juice of a lime
- About ten large ice cubes.
Place watermelon slices, 3 sprigs of tarragon, honey, lime juice and half an ice cube in a blender. Mix 3 Pour the juice into a tall glass, add the remaining ice cubes and garnish with the remaining sprig of tarragon. Serve immediately.
You can replace melon with watermelon and tarragon with mint, or combine peach and basil, cucumber and rosemary, strawberry and verbena.
(1) The art of my receiving, By Héloïse Brion, photographs by Christoph Roué, ed. Flammarion, June 2022.