Mmmm, blood oranges.

Today’s Los Angeles Times Food Section features an article on blood oranges, which I absolutely adore. Beautiful color, wonderful sweetness, and far less acid than a common navel orange, these beauties are great for savory or dessert dishes, and make great drinks.

The article gives some nifty-looking recipes for blood orange marmalade and a blood orange sangría, but c’mon … is the best cocktail they could come up with a “Blood Orange Blossom”? The orange blossom, which is basically “gin and juice”, has got to be near the bottom of the barrel cocktail-wise, and was originally invented during Prohibition to cover up the flavor of awful homemade “bathtub gin”. Do something more interesting than that, for gawd’s sake. I came up with something off the top of my head one day that’s better than a bloody Orange Blossom:

Cacciavite
(or, “Italian Screwdriver”)

1-1/2 ounces Luxardo grappa (or any inexpensive grappa)
1/2 ounce Maraschino liqueur (Luxardo is good)
3 ounces freshly squeezed blood orange juice
2 barspoons of Campari

Build with ice in an double Old Fashioned glass. Stir for 8-10 seconds, garnish with a blood orange half-wheel and serve.

You might also wanna try my recipe for Blood Orange and Rosemary Sorbet, which is really fantastic.