The Best Heather
I really think the Better Heather gin cocktail is good, and then I tried it with grapefruit to make the Best Heather. And all seems to have worked out. It’s the same framework, with a slightly different juice.
This version of the gin Heather cocktail is a smidge tarter, as the grapefruit can make you pucker up a bit. But it’s not too tart, sort of just the right amount. The Pavan and sweet Vermouth do wonders to balance things out here.
The Best Heather Gin Cocktail
Ingredients
- 1.5 Oz. Gin
- .75 Oz. Pavan
- .75 Oz. Sweet vermouth
- .75 Oz. Grapefruit juice `
- Grapefruit wedge or dehydrated grapefruit For garnish
Instructions
- Let your coupe glass chill out for a bit.
- In a shaker with ice, combine your Pavan, gin, sweet vermouth, and grapefruit juice.
- Strain from your shaker into a coupe glass.
- Garnish with some sort of grapefruit garnish, dehydrated or fully hydrated.
- Pace yourself – this one is good!
What’s up with Pavan? What the heck is it, anyway?
Pavan is the lovely liqueur that’s made from sweet grapes and orange blossoms. It’s sweet, concentrated, and balances well with the tartness of citrus juices. Paired with grapefruit it’s especially nice. You may want to try the Better Heather to see how well it goes with lime juice.
Play around with your garnishes, also. The dehydrated grapefruit certainly makes a visual statement, and lets you enjoy the concentrated sugars of the fruit, especially on the nose.
Using fresh fruit is also an option, this is often easier and a by-product of any fresh squeezing you may do. I have yet to try this with a grapefruit twist. There are sure to be subtle differences between dehydrated, fresh, and the expressed oils of a twist. You pick!