Grapefruit is a hybrid citrus of its own, born from crossing a sweet orange with a pomelo, and that mixed heritage carries straight through into this liqueur. Made in the style of a classic Italian limoncello, Grapefruitcello, or Pompelmocello if the Italian naming convention feels more fitting, trades lemon’s sharpness for a rounder, subtly bitter grapefruit character with a genuinely beautiful pink color.
While the grapefruit peels contribute plenty of aromatic oils for the right flavor just like when making limoncello, only using these for color will give us a result similar in color to grapefruit sodas like Squirt or Jarritos. So instead, we’ll adjust the hue of the liqueur with a small amount of beetroot powder, closing that gap without changing the overall flavor.
Now, getting the right flavor extraction depends on the alcohol. A high-proof neutral grain spirit, ideally 96% ABV, pulls oils and aroma from the peel far more efficiently than a lower-proof spirit will. This approach also results in a richer, more textured liqueur with just the right amount of bitterness. Just keep in mind that only food-grade neutral grain spirit should be used here, never a denatured alternative, which contains additives that make it unsafe to drink.
And in the topic of safety, another important consideration is to only use organic grapefruit peels, as most citrus is treated with pesticides and wax to give them a longer shelf-life. But there are ingredients that high-proof alcohol will also extract, so to avoid making you or your guests sick, it is important to spend the extra time and money needed to get untreated grapegruits.
How It’s Made
Grapefruitcello
- 33g Organic Grapefruit Peels
- 220mL · 7.33oz 96% ABV Neutral Grain Spirit
- 132g Sugar
- 380g Water
- 0.4g Beetroot Powder
- Wash and peel organic grapefruits thoroughly.
- Cut the peels into smaller pieces and place them in a jar with the neutral grain spirit.
- Infuse for 48 hours at room temperature.
- Strain the infusion, pressing the peels gently to recover as much of the infused alcohol as possible.
- In a large measuring beaker, combine the sugar and water, stirring until fully dissolved, by hand or with a magnetic stirrer.
- Add the grapefruit-infused alcohol to the sugar and water mixture, add the beetroot powder and stir for 10 minutes for the color to fully incorporate.
- Bottle and label.
This yields roughly a 700mL (23.33oz) bottle at around 30% ABV, a strength that helps keep the essential oils from separating too quickly. Some separation may still happen over time, and that’s normal, not a sign anything’s gone wrong. A good shake before serving brings it right back together. Flavor continues to develop over the first few days, so it’s worth letting the bottle rest briefly before diving in. The Cocktail Universe’s liqueur calculator can scale this recipe up or down to whatever bottle size you’re working with.
Usage
As for cocktails, you can use Grapefruitcello in the same way as limonello, crafting great spritzes or Lemon Drop style drinks. It’s also flavorful enough that you can just combine it with soda for a low ABV serve. Just keep in mind that the longer it sits unused, the more color it will lose as the beetroot powder oxidizes. So for best results keep it in the fridge and use it up fast. Cheers!
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