Fuzzy Navel All-Grown-Up (Mint & Apricot Gin Cocktail)
Or apri-CAT mint! Haha I always love a chance to use my “menacing cats” cocktail glass. This apricot gin cocktail is so juicy and refreshing, a perfect drink through the warmer months.
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The difference here vs. other apricot cocktails is that we’re starting with fresh apricots and making an apricot syrup.
I’ve magically found perfectly-ripe fresh apricots at the store lately, after a couple years of looking for them, so I’m taking advantage for as long as they’re there.
I made my apricot syrup as a by-product of the roasted apricot & rosemary olive oil cake I’ve been seriously obsessed with recently.
You basically roast apricot halves with sugar, fresh-squeezed lemon and orange juice, and a bit of almond extract.
You need some of the syrup for the cake, but have plenty left over, and so was trying to figure out what to do with it. My brain immediately said “COCKTAIL”. And because I love fruit + herb combos, I paired it with fresh mint.
If you can’t get your hands on fresh apricots or don’t want to go through the step of roasting them, I’m not positive what would work best.
Definitely not apricot brandy or even apricot liqueur…they don’t have the same fresh punch. You could possibly try peach liqueur (but maybe only do 1 ounce). Apricot nectar may come closer.
If you’re going to use apricot nectar, I’d do 1 ounce of nectar and 1 ounce of simple syrup (a cinnamon one would be amazing), or 1 ounce of nectar and 1 ounce of Amaretto liqueur.
Hit me up and let me know how it goes if you try one of these substitutions out!
To make this easy apricot cocktail, muddle the mint leaves in the bottom of the cocktail shaker (this is my fave) with a muddler (or the blunt end of a wooden spoon).
Add a bunch of ice to the shaker, along with the apricot syrup, lime juice, and gin. Shake for 15-20 seconds.
Strain the drink into a rocks glass filled with ice. You may want to double-strain through a fine mesh strainer as well, to get the bits of mint out (I don’t tend to care).
Garnish with a mint sprig and top with soda water if desired. I’ve done with and without, both are delicious.
I plan to keep making that cake and this cocktail on REPEAT.
Other summer cocktails you’ll love:
- A Juicy, Kicky Strawberry Black Pepper Gin Cocktail
- Summer Nostalgia: Cherry Limeade for Grown-Ups
- Blueberry Mint Gin Smash Cocktail
- Basil Gin Gimlet Cocktail
- Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Cocktail
- A Classic “Army and Navy” Gin Cocktail
- A Classic Gin Rickey Cocktail (Low-Carb, No Sugar)
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Fuzzy Navel All-Grown-Up (Mint & Apricot Gin Cocktail)
This delightful mint & apricot gin cocktail is a great way to use up apricot syrup that's a result of roasting apricots for other recipes. If you're wondering how to make an apricot cocktail starting with fresh apricots, this is the one--a perfect summer drink!
Ingredients
- 2 ounces of a good London Dry gin (I use Ford's)
- 2 ounces of apricot syrup (see notes)
- 1/2 ounce of lime juice
- A few fresh mint leaves (plus more for garnish)
- Optional: Soda water
Instructions
- Muddle the mint leaves in the bottom of the cocktail shaker with a muddler (or the blunt end of a wooden spoon).
- Add a bunch of ice to the shaker, along with the apricot syrup, lime juice, and gin. Shake for 15-20 seconds.
- Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. You may want to double-strain through a fine mesh strainer as well, to get the bits of mint out (I don't tend to care).
- Garnish with a mint sprig and top with soda water if desired. I've done with and without, both are delicious.
Notes
- I made my apricot syrup as a by-product of a different recipe on this blog (Roasted Apricot Olive Oil Cake). You basically roast apricot halves with sugar, fresh-squeezed lemon and orange juice, and a bit of almond extract. The recipe is linked above.
- No, not apricot brandy, not peach liqueur (which you could sub, but maybe only do 1 ounce), and not apricot nectar though that may come closer.
- If you're going to use apricot nectar, I'd do 1 ounce of nectar and 1 ounce of simple syrup (a cinnamon one would be amazing), or 1 ounce of nectar and 1 ounce of Amaretto liqueur.
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