Summer BBQ with Malfy Gin (+ Cocktail Recipes)

You might be familiar with Malfy Con Limone (it screams ‘bella vita’, that perfect Italian life!) or Malfy Originale, which takes us back to the roots of Italian gin distilling. Recently, though, Malfy has launched two fresh and fruity summery gins: Malfy Con Arancia, made with blood orange peel, and Gin Rosa, from sun-ripened pink grapefruit, both sourced from Sicily.

There are many pink gins on the market this summer, but Malfy Gin Rosa is different and stands out with its juicy fresh pink grapefruit flavour. It has a long juniper finish and slight notes of tangy rhubarb.

I have created a few delicious drinks perfect for any BBQ party or picnic. You can make some of these in larger batches, so they are easier to take to the park. Just add ice and serve.

1 Watermelon and Mint  

Watermelon cubes

Dash of sugar syrup

A handful of fresh mint leaves

Dash of fresh lime juice

50ml Malfy Gin (either Originale or Gin Rosa)

Soda

In a blender, combine all but soda water. Serve over ice and top up with soda water. You can easily make a larger batch and add the soda before serving.

2 Grapefruit Soda

50ml Gin Rosa

15ml Cucumber juice (fresh)

Pink grapefruit soda

Soda water

Cucumber stick for garnish

Pour the gin over ice together with the cucumber juice, top up with both the pink grapefruit soda and plain soda water. Garnish with a cucumber stick. Very simple, but refreshing!

3 Gin Rosa Fizz

35ml Gin Rosa

Dash of elderflower syrup (or liqueur)

Prosecco

Combine all ingredients in a champagne flute and garnish with rosemary sprig.

4 Elderflower G&T

50ml Malfy Gin Rosa

25ml Elderflower liqueur

25ml Fresh pink grapefruit juice

Tonic water

Combine all ingredients over ice, top up with premium tonic water and garnish with a rosemary spring.

5 Sangria Rosa (makes one jug)

Pink grapefruit slices

Orange slices (blood orange if available)

Lemon slices and a dash of the juice

25ml sugar syrup

Half a bottle of dry white wine

100ml Malfy Gin Rosa

Pink grapefruit soda (I used Schweppes)

In a jug, combine the fruit, sugar syrup, gin and white wine. Cover the mixture and leave it in the fridge for at least an hour, ideally longer. Before serving, add plenty of ice and pink grapefruit soda and give it a good stir.

6 Cucumber G&T

3 Cucumber slices

2 Lime wedges

1 Rosemary sprig

50ml Malfy Originale

Tonic water

In the glass side of a Boston shaker, slightly muddle together the cucumber, limes, rosemary and gin. Strain through a mesh strainer directly over ice, top up with premium tonic water and garnish with a cucumber tongue and rosemary.

7 Peach G&T

50ml Malfy Originale

15ml Fresh lime juice

25ml Fresh pink grapefruit juice

Tonic water

Peach slices and lime wedge for garnish

Combine all ingredients over ice, top up with premium tonic water and garnish with juicy peach slices and a lime wedge.

8 Basil, Lime & Grapefruit Punch

150ml Basil syrup (or more to taste)

0.5l Malfy Gin Rosa

0.5l Pink grapefruit juice

100ml Fresh lime juice

Soda or sparkling water

Make sugar syrup and add the basil leaves when the syrup is still hot, but off the heat. Leave it for half an hour before straining through a sieve. Let it sit for another half hour in the fridge.

To make the punch, combine all ingredients but soda in a jug and chill in the fridge for an hour (or even a day if you want to be well prepared). Before serving, add soda or sparkling water and garnish with lime wheels. This makes a good picnic drink as ice isn’t necessary if the punch mix and soda are well chilled.

What is your favourite Malfy Gin?

Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Biggar & Leith, but, as always, all photos and opinions are my ownSELRES_dc4f5b10-ecc8-4ae9-9728-f2e6b6a85c77.