Halos Mandarins are sweet, juicy, and seedless little tastes of goodness. I recently purchased a bag of them on sale and decided to have a little fun creating a cocktail centered around their mandarin orange flavor. I first tried juicing them the traditional way by slicing them and squeezing. But, then I realized if I just puree the entire orange and then strain it, I get more volume with all the juice and a bit of the flavor of the peel, too. Then, mixed with vodka and fresh mint and shaken with ice, The Fallen Halo was born. I hope you like it!
The Fallen Halo
mandarin orange cocktail
Ingredients
1 Halo Mandarin Orange
1 1/2 oz Simple Syrup*
1 1/2 oz Vodka
2-3 Mint Leaves
splash Club Soda
additional Mint, for garnish
additional Halo Peel, for garnish
Method
Rinse and dry the halo. Slice it in half and place it into a blender. Add 1 1/2 ounces of simple syrup and blend until fully pureed. Strain the mixture into a shaker. Add 1 1/2 ounces of Vodka, 2-3 mint leaves and ice. Shake vigorously for about 15 seconds. Fill a rocks glass with ice and pour the shaken cocktail into it. Pour a splash of club soda on the top of the drink and garnish with a few sprigs of mint and a bit of peel from another halo.
*To make a simple syrup, place 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Refrigerate in a sealed container until cold and it’s ready to use.