Lovers’ Delight

The original Lovers’ Delight is quite mysterious; included in a 1937 book out of New Orleans, it simply calls for dry gin to be shaken with “orange ice,” strained, and garnished with nutmeg. I was so intrigued by the orange ice and immediately thought of a citrus granita which, with its little hints of vanilla and chocolate, would be a great standalone dessert or palate cleanser. But I decided to enhance it with a chilled, flavor-packed mixture of Campari, gin, and kirschwasser, finished with sea salt and lemon zest!

INGREDIENTS

Lovers’ Delight granita
1½ - 2 oz. Lovers’ Delight Mix

Garnish: lemon zest, sea salt

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ABV LEVEL

Prepare your granita by scraping it with a fork and scooping it into a decorative stemmed glass. This can be done ahead and stored in freezer. Your LD Mix (see recipe) should be pre-batched and stored in the freezer. When ready to serve, pour LD Mix over granita, garnish with lemon zest and sea salt, and serve with a small spoon.

Lovers’ Delight Mix

4 parts Campari
2 parts London dry gin
1 part kirschwasser

Combine and bottle and store in freezer.

Lovers’ Delight Granita

16 oz. orange juice
16 oz. grapefruit juice
1 oz. lemon juice
2 oz. crème de cacao
2 oz. vanilla syrup
¼ teaspoon saline
Orange, lemon, and grapefruit zest, if using

Zest your citrus (about 2-3 Tablespoons total) if using in granita. Juice and strain citrus until you have the required amounts. Combine all in a mixing bowl and stir. Pour into a shallow metal pan and let freeze overnight. When ready to use, scrape with a fork to create desired texture and serve according to recipe.