This Blood Orange Tequila cocktail is wonderful excuse to use all those blood oranges you grabbed at the farmer’s market. Because if you are like me you just can’t get enough of this winter fruit. The blood orange is a natural variant of the orange and is deep crimson in color. Just can’t say enough about the vibrant color. I have been obsessed with blood oranges for several years now and part of me wonders if part of the appeal is that they are only available for such a short part of the year.
Why can’t I find blood oranges year round?
Starting in early November I keep my eyes peeled for these juicy treats, but it wasn’t until the new year that I finally got my hands on some. You see, the temperature needs to reach a certain low at night in order for blood oranges to grow. In the United States the main regions to grow blood oranges are California (producing from November to May) and Texas (producing from December to March). So it varies when I start to see them on the east coast. A test of patience for this girl, for sure.
Because of my obsession, you’ll see a few different blood orange recipes on the blog. And I’ll do my best not to let it get too out of control. But please don’t wait too long to go looking for these guys. They won’t stick around too much longer.
This drink recipe was a result of my need to incorporate blood oranges into cocktail hour and my love of tequila. We also went big with the bitters in order to drive home the winter cocktail taste. We thought it was pretty great. Let us know your thoughts as well!
- 1.5 ounces blood orange juice, freshly squeezed is best
- 2 ounces tequila, preferably anejo
- 1 shake of orange bitters
- 5 shakes of Angostura bitters
- agave nectar, a drop or two
- blood orange slice, for garnish
- Combine blood orange juice, tequila, bitters and agave in a cocktail shaker.
- Fill shaker with ice and shake well.
- Strain into a chilled coupe and garnish with a blood orange wheel.
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