Finish Line

I was feeling like I've had too many boozy drinks lately, so I thought I'd make myself a Runner's Reward. When I got to the kitchen, however, I got distracted. Last night, I thought I had finished off all of the Aperol in the house. This made me sad. Fortunately, my wife pointed out I had already bought a new bottle, since we were running low. And that inspired me to try a variation on the Runner's Reward, replacing the St. Germain with Aperol.

Unsurprisingly, this made for a different type of drink. Where the Runner's Reward is light and refreshing, the Finish Line is a bit more savory. The flavor lingers longer, and is a hint more bitter. I used Fee Bros. Grapefruit bitters instead of the Hopped Grapefruit bitters, and I'm glad I did. I think that the hopped grapefruit would have been a bit much. In fact, perhaps some Boker's Bitters would be even better. I also suspect white rum might be better than spiced rum. Recipe after the jump.

Runner's Reward

Photo by Tony Kamick on Flickr

Recently, after a long run, I was looking forward to a nice soak in the tub. I figured I should make something to drink, to take with me. I didn't want anything too alcoholic, since I had just finished a long run. I know St. Germain is always refreshing, so I started with that. I had a lime sitting around, which seemed like it would go well in a refreshing cocktail. I was going to use rum, to keep things light, but I thought I wanted it to be a bit more interesting, but not more boozy, so I threw in some spiced rum. To add to the spicy notes, I added hopped grapefruit bitters, and I topped it off with soda water. It ended up being exactly what I wanted — tasty and refreshing, and not at all boozy. It's a great drink for soaking in the tub, or a hot summer day when you've just finished mowing the lawn.