Bartenders and amateur mixologists alike will love having grapefruit simple syrup on hand. Try adding the grapefruit simple syrup to a Campari and soda, or mixing it with grapefruit juice and vodka. For a refreshing non-alcoholic beverage that doesn’t cloy, add a few tablespoons of the syrup to soda water in a glass of ice with a squeeze of lemon.

Steps

1. Wash the citrus under cold water and dry. Finely grate the peel, avoiding the white pith, until you have a heaping 2 Tbsp. grated peel.
2. In a bowl, vigorously stir the zest into the sugar. Use the back of a spoon to crush the zest into the sugar, until the sugar appears slushy and damp. Cover well and let sit overnight or several hours.
3. Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan and stir in the citrus sugar. Simmer the syrup for 3 minutes to dissolve the sugar.
4. Take off the heat and let cool. Strain out the zest and store the syrup in the refrigerator.