The Ingredients

70 ml Gin, 25 ml Grapefruit Juice, dash of Grenadine Syrup

How To make a Southern Bride

Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a maraschino cherry. Serve.

Social and Cocktail says:

This is an easy to make Martini ~ which is both refreshing and light.  The drink is a mix of sweet and tart with a little gin in the background, creating a floral cocktail that is great as a bridal cocktail, perfect for showers, receptions and dinners. The Southern Bride is also an excellent introductory cocktail for novices, due to its easily quaffability.

There is a popular alternative way to make the Southern Bride, which involves adding maraschino liqueur, which is a spirit made from the distillation of marasca cherries. Maraschino liqueur also includes the crushed pits of the cherries, which gives it a subtle almond flavour. The idea for this addition is that richness of the maraschino liqueur, which is quite sweet, balances the tartness of the zesty grapefruit juice.

This cocktail is a good opportunity to use a quality premium gin, such as Tanqueray or Bombay Sapphire, particularly if it is going to be the centre-piece of a wedding reception. Another reason to serve this drink at a special occasion is the appearance of the drink, which is a nice melding of red and white.

Did You Know?

The minimum bottled alcoholic strenth for gin is 37.5%.