PR Grapefruit Vodka Essence 20 ml

PR Grapefruit Vodka Essence 20 ml

Grapefruit is the grown-up of the citrus family. Where the orange is gentle and the lemon simply sour, grapefruit has everything at once: juicy fruit, lively acidity and that little bitter edge that makes your mouth water and has you reaching for another sip straight away. That is exactly why it has become the bartender’s favourite citrus – it gives drinks backbone without making them sweet.

PR Grapefruit Vodka takes red, sun-ripened grapefruit and lays it over a clean grain vodka. The result is not a liqueur but a dry, clear flavoured vodka in which the fruit tastes the way it does when you have just cut it in half at the breakfast table – peel, juice and all.

Colour & Appearance

Once mixed, the vodka is crystal clear and bright, with no tint of colour at all. It looks like any other pure vodka – the surprise only arrives when the glass gets close to your nose.

Nose

The nose is sunny and lively. First comes freshly grated peel with its essential oils, rather like twisting a strip of zest over a glass. Close behind follow juicy red flesh, a hint of blood orange and a cool, almost floral citrus note. In the background sits the clean, faintly bready grain character of the vodka.

Palate

The palate is dry, fresh and surprisingly true to the fruit. It opens juicily with red grapefruit and a distinct but gentle acidity that makes the tongue tingle. Then the peel steps forward with its aromatic, slightly resinous note, and with it the elegant bitterness – the thing that makes grapefruit grapefruit. There is no sweetness getting in the way, which leaves room in the middle for the vodka’s clean, slightly peppery grain tone. The whole is taut, refreshing and very easy to mix with.

Finish

The finish is medium-long, clean and cooling. Grapefruit peel and a fine citrus bitterness linger, together with a gentle warmth. Your mouth feels fresh, almost as it does after a glass of newly squeezed juice.

How to Use

The essence is mixed with vodka or neutral spirit and can be enjoyed straight away. 20 ml makes 750 ml of finished spirit. Instructions are on the label.

Serving Suggestions

• Ice-cold as a schnapps with shellfish, cured salmon and a summer spread of pickled fish.
• With tonic, plenty of ice and a wedge of grapefruit – crisper than an ordinary G&T.
• With grapefruit soda and a pinch of salt on the rim of the glass.
• With cranberry juice and lime for a pink, tangy long drink.
• In a dry martini with a citrus twist instead of an olive.

About the Essence

PR Grapefruit Vodka is part of the PR (Prestige) series and is one of the most useful flavoured vodkas in the range. Because it is dry, it works anywhere you would otherwise reach for plain vodka, yet it gives the drink an extra layer of fresh citrus and a bitterness that balances sweet mixers.

It is also a rewarding schnapps for anyone who finds spiced spirits too heavy – light, clean and appetising. For those producing on a larger scale, the same red grapefruit flavour is available in 25 litres.