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    Gastronotherapy » Recipes » Beverages

    Pink Grapefruit Vodka Cocktail with Rosemary

    Published: May 27, 2021 · Modified: Dec 13, 2022 by MaryAnne · 12 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Pink grapefruit vodka cocktail is light and refreshing, with subtle herby flavor from woodsy rosemary. With no added sugar, no fancy equipment needed, and just 4 simple ingredients, you can create the perfect cocktail for brunch, happy hour or a festive gathering.

    grapefruit vodka cocktail in a glass garnished with rosemary and slice of grapefruit.

    This festive and easy grapefruit vodka cocktail is perfect for citrus season when you need to get through the long dark days of winter. However, no one will mind if you serve it during the warm summer months as well. You really can't go wrong when it comes to grapefruit juice and vodka!

    I love a light and refreshing pink grapefruit cocktail anytime of the year, but by adding fresh rosemary and sparkling water, we elevate it to something much more beautiful, bubbly, and fun. It's like a greyhound, but more sophisticated.

    Jump to:
    • ⭐️ Why This Cocktail is the Best
    • 🍋 Ingredient Notes
    • 📝 Variations & Substitutions
    • 🥄 How To Make Grapefruit Vodka Cocktail
    • 🍝 What To Serve With Your Cocktail
    • 👩🏼‍🍳 Expert Tips
    • 💬 Frequently Asked Questions
    • 🍷 Related Recipes
    • Pink Grapefruit Vodka Cocktail with Rosemary Recipe

    ⭐️ Why This Cocktail is the Best

    • Sweet, tart, and savory. Grapefruit juice adds a tart-sweet-bitter flavor, sparkling water provides bubbles to almost turn it into a spritzer, and rosemary sprigs add a subtle herbyness that complements the grapefruit juice. Because we don't muddle the rosemary into our cocktail, but instead use it as a garnish, it becomes a subtle background note.
    • Quick and easy. No fancy equipment is needed, and just 4 simple ingredients can create the perfect cocktail for brunch, happy hour or a festive gathering.
    • Sophisticated, fun, & refreshing grapefruit cocktail
    • No added sugar. I skip the simple syrup in an effort to make this grapefruit vodka drink light and refreshing. For more refreshing beverages, try cucumber lemon ginger water and oat milk smoothie!

    🍋 Ingredient Notes

    cocktail ingredients arranged on a wooden cutting board.
    • Vodka - I prefer Absolut Vodka, but any brand of vodka will do. Smirnoff and Tito's are both quality, affordable brands.
    • Grapefruit juice - If you live somewhere where grapefruit is plentiful and/or cheap, using fresh juice makes a difference since we are only using a few simple ingredients. But, store-bought juice will work just fine!
    • Sparkling water - I used lemon-flavored sparkling water. You could also use grapefruit-flavored sparkling water, or just regular sparkling water as well.
    • Rosemary sprigs - I have a rosemary plant in my backyard so I snipped a few sprigs from that, but you can find fresh rosemary easily at your local market (or farmers market). If you're a rosemary fan, check out chocolate pecan bark, sourdough discard focaccia, and rosemary lemon shortbread.

    📝 Variations & Substitutions

    • Substitute your favorite herb. I love rosemary, and because of its piney and woodsy flavor, it pairs really well with citrus. But, herbs like mint or basil would be delicious as a substitute.
    • Switch up your alcohol. Gin and tequila both pair well with grapefruit juice and would be delicious here.
    • Make it sweeter. I purposely left out simple syrup in this recipe, as the grapefruit juice is sweet. However, if you prefer a sweeter cocktail, add a teaspoon of maple syrup or see my list of maple syrup substitutes.
    • Make a mocktail: Leave out the vodka altogether, and enjoy a virgin spritzer!
    two cocktails with ice and rosemary sprigs resting on a table with sliced grapefruit nearby.

    🥄 How To Make Grapefruit Vodka Cocktail

    *See the recipe card below for printable instructions.

    Pour vodka and grapefruit juice into a container with lid. Shake vigorously for about 10 seconds.

    vodka and grapefruit juice in a container after being shaken.

    Pour into glasses and add sparkling water and rosemary sprigs. If using grapefruit slices as garnish, add to glass rims.

    grapefruit cocktail with slices of grapefruit and fresh rosemary on the table.

    🍝 What To Serve With Your Cocktail

    Because of the seasonal winter produce used in this recipe, grapefruit vodka cocktail pairs well with other winter gems like fennel, greens, citrus, and root vegetables.

    • Serve it with shaved fennel salad, caramelized shallot pasta, or creamy roasted cauliflower soup.
    • For snack ideas, serve it with chocolate covered pecans, smoky hummus, or spiced candied nuts.

    👩🏼‍🍳 Expert Tips

    • Muddle your rosemary. If you want a stronger rosemary flavor and have a muddler on hand, you could muddle the rosemary and add to your vodka and grapefruit juice mixture before shaking to combine.
    • Use high-quality vodka. Since it's just a few simple ingredients, we want to use a high-quality vodka.
    • Use fresh-squeezed juice. Using fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice will make all the difference in this cocktail, lending a more vibrant flavor than store-bought juice.
    • Storage: Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

    💬 Frequently Asked Questions

    What does grapefruit mix well with?

    Because of its sweet-tart-bitter flavor, grapefruit is a very versatile fruit that pairs well with a wide range of foods, including coconut, caramel, and ginger.

    Why is vodka and grapefruit juice called a Greyhound?

    In the 1940's, vodka and canned grapefruit juice was a popular beverage served at greyhound bus terminals. Thus, it came to be known as a "Greyhound"!

    What drink is made from grapefruit juice and vodka?

    The classic cocktail is the greyhound, which is just grapefruit juice and vodka combined. In this recipe, we take it up a notch by adding sparkling water and fresh rosemary for a bubbly and herby twist!

    🍷 Related Recipes

    • Cucumber Lemon Ginger Water
    • Oat Milk Smoothie
    • Creamy Oat Milk Hot Chocolate
    • Rosemary Lemon Shortbread Cookies

    Tried this recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. You can also stay in touch with us through social media by following us on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.

    Subscribe to my email newsletter to get my FREE Guide on Money Saving Tips on Buying Groceries, and get new recipes delivered to your inbox!

    grapefruit vodka cocktail in a glass garnished with rosemary and slice of grapefruit.

    Pink Grapefruit Vodka Cocktail with Rosemary Recipe

    Author: MaryAnne
    Pink grapefruit vodka cocktail is light and refreshing, with subtle herby flavor from woodsy rosemary. With no added sugar, no fancy equipment needed, and just 4 simple ingredients, you can create the perfect cocktail for brunch, happy hour or a festive gathering.
    5 from 7 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 0 mins
    Total Time 5 mins
    Course Drinks
    Cuisine American
    Servings 2 cocktails
    Calories 183 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 4 ounces vodka
    • 8 ounces grapefruit juice
    • 8 ounces sparkling water
    • 2 rosemary sprigs
    • 2 slices of grapefruit (optional)

    Instructions
     

    • Pour vodka and grapefruit juice into a container with lid. Shake vigorously for about 10 seconds.
    • Pour into glasses and add sparkling water and rosemary sprigs. If using grapefruit slices as garnish, add to glass rims.

    Notes

    • Muddle your rosemary. If you want a stronger rosemary flavor and have a muddler on hand, you could muddle the rosemary and add to your grapefruit juice/vodka mixture before shaking to combine.
    • Use high-quality vodka. Since it's just a few simple ingredients, we want to use a high-quality vodka.
    • Use fresh-squeezed juice. Using fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice will make all the difference in this cocktail, lending a more vibrant flavor than store-bought juice.
    • Storage: Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 183kcalCarbohydrates: 13gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 27mgPotassium: 187mgFiber: 1gSugar: 12gVitamin A: 11IUVitamin C: 31mgCalcium: 16mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sara Welch

      May 27, 2021 at 3:32 pm

      5 stars
      Looking forward to enjoying this poolside all summer long! Very unique and tasty, with a kick; love it!

      Reply
      • Gastronotherapy

        May 27, 2021 at 4:09 pm

        Thanks, Sara! Yes, it's very refreshing!

        Reply
    2. Claudia Lamascolo

      May 27, 2021 at 3:52 pm

      5 stars
      Very refreshing drink and I love the tangy flavors !

      Reply
      • Gastronotherapy

        May 27, 2021 at 4:09 pm

        Thanks, Claudia! I also love the tangy tartness of grapefruit juice!

        Reply
    3. Sandhya

      May 27, 2021 at 3:56 pm

      5 stars
      Looking forward to trying this over the weekend. It's gorgeous weather out here and this the perfect cocktail for the season.

      Reply
      • Gastronotherapy

        May 27, 2021 at 4:10 pm

        I hope you enjoy it, Sandhya!

        Reply
    4. Anjali

      May 27, 2021 at 4:44 pm

      5 stars
      This cocktail was absolutely perfect for summer!! It's light, refreshing and tastes great!

      Reply
      • Gastronotherapy

        May 28, 2021 at 1:58 pm

        Thanks, Anjali! I completely agree! 🙂

        Reply
    5. Biana

      May 27, 2021 at 6:02 pm

      5 stars
      Looks delicious -- a great summer cocktail with citrus flavor.

      Reply
      • Gastronotherapy

        May 28, 2021 at 1:59 pm

        Thanks, Biana! It's so refreshing!

        Reply
    6. Barbara J Haner

      May 27, 2021 at 6:59 pm

      5 stars
      What juice would you recommend for a substitute if you can't drink grapefruit juice?

      Reply
      • Gastronotherapy

        May 28, 2021 at 1:59 pm

        Orange juice would be just as delicious, or even cranberry juice. And I think both would pair really nicely with the rosemary.

        Reply

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    MaryAnne from Gastronotherapy

    Hi, I'm MaryAnne! Gastronotherapy is where I create easy recipes that are mainly vegetarian and vegan. And I have a huge sweet tooth, so dessert is never far behind.

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