Secrets of the Best Chefs

Citrus Gin Cocktail

Serves 4

There’s nothing cloying about this cocktail of orange juice,

grapefruit juice, gin, and Champagne. In fact, it’s rather bracing.

Add sugar for sweetness, but use restraint. At the start of the

meal, this drink is a terrific palate cleanser: the sharpness of the

citrus and the fizz of the Champagne get you ready for whatever

you’re planning to eat next.

½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice

½ cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

¼ cup Hendrick’s gin, straight from the freezer

1 cup Champagne or Prosecco

Approximately ¼ cup brown sugar

3 or 4 torn basil leaves

Mix all ingredients in a large pitcher and adjust to taste. Serve in

chilled martini glasses.