Katherine Sacks is a Berlin-based freelance writer and recipe developer…
A muddling of orange, mint, and amaro with grapefruit or blood orange soda makes a drink that is a little sweet, a little bitter, and very herbaceous.
On a recent trip to Croatia, we enjoyed several dinners finished off with a glass or two of amaro. Although it’s an Italian digestif, it felt festive and fitting in the warm climate.
Fast forward a few months and amaro still feels festive. Rather then just to drink it on the rocks (although it’s delicious that way), I like this smash, a muddling of orange, mint, and amaro topped with grapefruit or blood orange soda. A little sweet, a little bitter, and very herbaceous, it’s my new signature cocktail (cause every gal should have one.)

Ingredients
- 1½ ounces amaro
- Mint
- 1 orange
- ½ ounce simple syrup
- 1 to 2 ounces grapefruit soda
Instructions
- In a mixing glass, combine the amaro, a handful of mint, and several large pieces of orange zest. Muddle together well, then add the simple syrup and ice and stir.
- Strain into an ice-filled glass and top off with soda. Garnish with additional mint and orange zest.
Katherine Sacks is a Berlin-based freelance writer and recipe developer specializing in travel, food, lifestyle, and health topics. A graduate of Drexel University’s culinary arts department and Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Katherine combines seven years of restaurant experience with her reporting and editing background. Her work has appeared in Chicago magazine, the Chicago-Sun Times, and FoodandWine.com, among other publications. She also contributes to culinary trade publication StarChefs.com, Forbes Travel Guide, and Snooth Eats, and blogs at LaVitaCucinare.com.