St. Croix Cocktail

As always, many thanks to Lindsey of Brown, Bitter and Stirred for hosting the August edition of Mixology Monday. Of course, let's also raise a glass to Paul for rallying the party.

My taste for bourbon has drawn me to brown, bitter and stirred cocktails for decades. However, in the summer, I have a taste for rum, so I morphed a Manhattan into a lower-latitude version.

St. Croix Cocktail

3 oz gold rum (I used Cruzan Single Barrel)
1/6 oz (1 teaspoon) ruby port
1/6 oz (1 teaspoon) Grapefruit Tea Bitters

Stir ingredients together with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.

Grapefruit Tea Bitters

Grapefruit Tea Bitters

1 cup boiling water
Two bags tea (I used Irish Breakfast tea)

1/2 red grapefruit, sliced thickly
1/2 cup Bacardi 151

Steep tea in boiling water for five minutes. Remove and discard teabags. Reduce tea to 1/2 cup over medium-high heat. Combine tea, grapefruit and rum and seal in a jar. Infuse for two days. Remove and discard grapefruit, then strain.