How To Make A Blood Orange Summer Cocktail With Just 2 Ingredients

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Bartending in the summertime beckons simplicity — why make tipples too complicated — and if there's one citrusy mixer that's worth leaning on, it's blood orange. Boasting an intricate sweet-sour flavor, the fruit is perfectly poised for mixed drinks. Blood orange goes well with an array of spirits and liqueurs, not to mention the appearance is dependably striking, with resultant cocktails taking on a dark ruby color.

Not sure where to start? Whip up a blood orange vodka soda. For easiest assembly, simply grab a package of citrus-flavored soda, say, Whole Foods Market Blood Orange Italian Soda, then mix with the vodka. A touch more than two shots per can should do the trick, although feel free to adjust strength per occasion. The drink is super easy to batch, too, with room for subtle tweaks such as a sprig of mint or an aromatic liqueur.

Two ingredient vodka cocktails let the fruit's flavor shine while keeping the drink nice and drinkable. If you're lucky to have fresh blood orange on hand, squeeze the juice alongside club soda for a zestier spin, adding on simple syrup to lend some sweetness. Regardless of the ingredients, serve over ice and enjoy. For a citrus traditionally available in spring and winter, blood orange shines in summertime.

Thinking of building out your blood orange drink? The avenues are numerous. The citrus is easy to incorporate into classics. Blood orange juice does wonders for a daiquiri, blending right in with the lime, simple syrup, and rum. The same goes for a margarita; orange-based Cointreau, lime, and blood orange form an intricate citrus flavor. Also in tequila territory, you can swap a paloma's foundational grapefruit for blood orange, creating yet another drinkable format to showcase the fruit. More of a gin fan? A blood orange gimlet is an easy riff — mixed with lime juice, the citrus forms a terrific backbone for gin.

In addition to such tried-and-true drinks, consider a few creative cocktails to showcase blood orange. The fruit mingles especially well with Campari. Mix together with a touch of simple syrup, and you get a tasty blood orange Garibaldi. Swap simple syrup for honey syrup and add a touch of club soda to the mix, and you craft a Make It Count, a refreshing long drink. Not to mention blood orange comes alive in plenty of Negroni riffs, perfect for an Italian themed aperitif or digestif. Equal parts of Campari, gin, and blood orange juice craft a Sicilian Negroni, while the addition of red vermouth makes a bloody Negroni. With a little creativity, blood orange shines in a myriad of stiff drinks, perfect for summer sipping.