Skinny Citrus Bramble

Spring is upon us and with it comes fresh flowers, delectable, fruits, and the threat of swimsuit season. Oh, don’t pretend like you don’t know what I am talking about. As the weather warms and winter becomes a chilly memory, a little nagging voice in the back of your head starts the cyclical chant “swimsuit season, swimsuit season.” Sure you could start off spring by depriving yourself of all of its glorious bounty, or you could just make minor tweaks that you’ll barely notice. Take for instance, today’s cocktail recipe, the Skinny Citrus Bramble. With the help of Diet 7UP, I have created a delicious take on the classic libation that is generous to your waistline.

It’s easy enough for me to list off impossible-to-find ingredients and give you a recipe that will lead to a city-wide scavenger hunt. And if you are an avid reader, then you know I have a tendency to do that (shout out to the ever elusive Martha Stewart!). However, I wanted to make this particular recipe quick and easy. That’s why I enlisted Diet 7UP. Upon first thought, it is a good ol’ soda. But Diet 7UP is actually quite versatile: you can use it in cakes, pasta sauces, and even fancy cocktail recipes. Oh la la! Plus the drink’s fresh, crisp flavor adds a refreshing complexity to your mixology arsenal. So with little more than some fresh fruit, booze, and a Diet 7UP 2L bottle, you can easily tackle my Skinny Citrus Bramble recipe…

SKINNY CITRUS BRAMBLE

INGREDIENTS:

Diet 7UP 2L Bottle

2 ounces of gin

½ ounce of triple sec

1 teaspoon of simple syrup

¼ cup of blackberries

1 lime (sliced into wedges)

Crushed Ice

DIRECTIONS:

1. Muddle the blackberries and the pulp of one lime wedge in a tumbler.
2. Add the gin, simple syrup, and triple sec.
3. Add crushed ice and then top off with Diet 7UP.
4. Mix with a bar spoon and garnish with blackberries. Enjoy!

Using a muddler, crush ¼ cup of blackberries and the pulp of one lime wedge in a tumbler.

Add the 2 ounces of gin, 1 teaspoon of simple syrup, and ½ ounce of triple sec. Quick tip: You can actually buy pre-made simple syrup at your local liquor store or make it by boiling 1:1 water and sugar until they have mixed.

Add crushed ice and then top off with Diet 7UP.  If you don’t have a fridge that automatically makes crushed ice, just throw some ice cubes in your blender and voila!

Mix with a bar spoon and garnish with blackberries and/or lime wedges.

And that’s it! A cocktail with simple, accessible ingredients. Plus, it’ll shut up that nagging ‘swimsuit’ voice in your head… well, at least for a little while. I purchased the Diet 7UP and fruit from my local Stop & Shop, but you can also find them at Giant Landover and Giant Carlisle. Oh and make sure to check out Savory Magazine in the ‘New Flavors’ edition until 3/30 for a coupon for $1.00 when you buy two 7UP 2-Liter bottles. Get more recipe ideas by following along with #7Waysto7UP.