Rosemary-Grapefruit Spritzer

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Enjoy winter citrus season with this rosemary-grapefruit spritzer in hand! Made with just the right kick of vodka, this light and refreshing cocktail is full of seasonal citrus juice and fresh rosemary and finished with an effervescent topping of grapefruit-flavored sparkling water. Now let’s show you how to make this easy grapefruit cocktail you’ll want to sip every chance you get.

A rosemary-grapefruit spritzer on a white marble tray with bar tools in the background and fresh fruit around it.

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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Ingredients
Step-by-Step Instructions
Recipe FAQs
Expert Tips
Perfect Pairing
Sip on More Citrus Cocktails
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Why You'll Love This Recipe

Celebrates winter's best seasonal flavors — but it's also just as tasty when garden-fresh rosemary is here.
Simple to make for home bartenders of all skill levels.
Only requires a few easy ingredients and takes just minutes to whip up.
No extra sugar or simple syrup required to keep this drink extra light.

Related: If you love this drink, you'll also adore this elderflower spritz and blackberry-cucumber spritzer!

Ingredients

Vodka: I always recommend using the best vodka that fits your budget. If you'd like some brand recommendations, check out this list on favorite vodkas for the home bartender.

Grapefruit and lime juices: We absolutely want to use freshly squeezed juices. Bottle juices lacks brightness and flavor compared to fresh juice.

Rosemary: Like the citrus juices, we want fresh rosemary. Dried rosemary doesn’t work here.

Grapefruit-flavored sparkling water: I love the extra grapefruit flavor, but you can also use a complementary flavor or even plain sparkling water or club soda.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: We start by adding fresh rosemary, grapefruit juice, vodka, and lime juice in to a cocktail shaker.

Step 2: Now we muddle the rosemary to release those wonderful herbal flavors.

Step 3: After muddling, we add a handful of ice, pop on the top and shake the drink for a good 15 seconds.

Step 4: From here, we strain the drink into an ice-filled glass.

Step 5: For our final step, we top the drink with grapefruit-flavored sparkling water for that classic spritzer finish.

With our cocktail ready, we garnish with a fresh rosemary sprig and sip the night away with your favorite people for good measure.

Two rosemary-grapefruit spritzers on a white tray against a marble background with fruit and bar tools around them.

Recipe FAQs

When is grapefruit in season?

While grapefruit is available year round, it’s at its peak from January through April. I always find winter grapefruit is richer and a bit sweeter.

Can you make this into a nonalcoholic spritzer?

Turning this drink into a mocktail is simple. Instead of regular vodka, use a zero-proof vodka or skip the vodka altogether and add extra sparkling water.

Can you substitute another spirit for the vodka?

That’s no problem — gin, tequila, or white rum would work well.

Expert Tips

Use a wooden spoon if you don’t have a muddler: If you love making cocktails at home, it’s worth buying a muddler, but a sturdy wooden spoons gets the job done.

Add simple syrup if you prefer a sweeter cocktail: I designed this cocktail so that it doesn’t need simple syrup, but for those who want a touch of sweetness, add 1 ounce simple syrup to the mixture.

Chill the sparkling grapefruit-flavored water: We don’t shake carbonated beverages because it makes the bubbles flat and can create quite the mess. Chilling the sparkling water keeps this drink extra refreshing.

Looking down on two grapefruit spritzers on a marble serving tray with a silver muddler to the left.

Perfect Pairing

This light, citrusy cocktail calls for a plate of seared scallops. Obviously, seafood is a natural pairing for citrus-forward beverages, and scallops are delicious with grapefruit. Considering the delicate nature of scallops, I love how this cocktail is light enough that it doesn’t overwhelm the scallops, and the spirtzy quality offers a nice balance to the scallops’ buttery texture.

Whether you’re looking for a light cocktail or simply craving something citrusy, bubbly and delicious, I hope you try this rosemary-grapefruit vodka spritzer.

Cheers!

A close-up view of the grapefruit-rosemary cocktail with a fresh herb sticking out of the glass that's sitting on a copper coaster.

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