Fruit

Grapefruit Tarragon Gin and Tonic

by:
July  1, 2013
4.4 Stars
Grapefruit Tarragon Gin and Tonic
Photo by James Ransom
Author Notes

Grapefruit and tarragon are a great flavor pairing. I've used it in some cooking applications, and wanted to try out a boozy drink with the two. It's a multi-sensory experience. First your eye is drawn to the pretty pinks and greens. Then your nose picks up the anise-y aroma of the tarragon. And lastly, the bittersweet grapefruit and tonic work their magic. I use Comb 9 gin, because of its awesomeness, but use what you like. —mrslarkin

  • Serves one
Ingredients
  • 2 sprigs fresh tarragon, plus extra for garnish
  • 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar
  • 2 ounces fresh squeezed ruby red grapefruit, strained
  • 2 ounces gin
  • 5 ounces tonic water
  • a sliver of grapefruit
In This Recipe
Directions
  1. In a cocktail shaker, muddle the tarragon and the sugar. Add a handful of ice cubes, the grapefruit juice and the gin. Shake it up.
  2. Fill a tall glass halfway with ice cubes. Add a sprig of tarragon, and sliver of grapefruit. Pour contents of shaker into glass. Top off with tonic water. Cheers!
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7 Reviews

Anne
Anne April 2, 2021
I am not a fan of gin. I want to love it for it's exotic botanicals, but it usually leaves me flat. This cocktail is five-stars (without the tonic water which I hate... if you love tonic water, you might find it to be five stars with the tonic.) If I wanted to dumb it down, I would personally add soda water, but it is so good served almost cosmo-style - no diluter. I will say if you are not a fan of bitter or licorice, this is not for you. I found the bitter of the grapefruit and the licorice of the tarragon a perfect overlay for the intense herbaceousness (I do not talk like this in normal life but this cocktail is bringing out the worst in me) of the gin. Just try it... and taste before you add tonic or soda... you might like it better without either.
 
Rebecca H.
Rebecca H. June 29, 2019
This was a perfect snd delicious combo. Thanks for the recipe!
 
Carol
Carol September 6, 2015
Never been a fan of Gin, but have been on a Tarragon rage this summer. Had a grapefruit laying around that was very ripe. Heard Hendrick's was good Gin and let me say OMG is this good. California wines have been my comfort zone so this is a major shift, shaken served in martini glass. Try this!
 
MaryAlice
MaryAlice May 12, 2014
This was a wonderful drink. I have a tarragon plant, so the herb was fresh. Loved it.
 
mauigirlcooks
mauigirlcooks January 10, 2014
This sounds like a fantastic drink! I recently had a drink with freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, vodka & fresh basil-yum!
 
checker
checker July 3, 2013
So here I was, thinking how much I do actually miss this place, and thought I would pop over to your page to see what you were up to. And if you didn't post a GIN recipe with the flavor combo you taught me! New favorite drink! Yes! Yes! Yes!
 
Author Comment
mrslarkin
mrslarkin July 3, 2013
:) Thought of you as I sipped this.