the salted lady;

The salted lady cocktail is not only delicious, but it’s near and dear to my heart. We actually had this cocktail over in New Zealand on our honeymoon at the cocktail bar Bardeaux in Queenstown. It was handsdown the best cocktail I ever had. Which was funny, because it wasn’t even my first choice off their menu. I don’t remember what I tried to order, but they weren’t able to make it that night, so I went for option b.

And the salted lady was a sweet, sweet option b. It’s potent–so be careful! But the sweet burnt orange syrup packs a whallop of flavor, only its challenge is met by the alcohol. If you like orange flavors, then this is the cocktail for you. With the aperol and vodka kick, followed by the sweet syrup and a tart twist of lemon and finished with a hint of salt to bring this amazing cocktail together.

My partner came up with such a sweet idea for date night–he remembered how much I loved this cocktail from our honeymoon in New Zealand and wanted to recreate it for date night! So he actually got in contact with the manager over at Bardeaux and asked for the recipe for the salted lady. Gotta love the modern age, where we can ask a company literally on the other side of the world for help making a cocktail at home! And they responded (and said it was ok to share our escapades =)).

It does take a little work up front, but once you’ve made the charred orange peel syrup and dehydrated oranges you’re set for multiple cocktails. When I made this recipe, I actually added a splash of extra orange juice and sugar to bring the total up to 250ml of each. I knew we’d be making the salted lady cocktail a lot so I figured might as well do the hard work once!

I’ve described two ways to char your burnt oranges. You can of course use a blowtorch, but I managed just fine with my gas stove. Either will work, depending on what you have available. You want to get some char on the skin, but mostly you’re looking to release some of the oils in the skin.

The garnish is optional, because it does take a bit of time investment to dehydrate oranges. A dehydrator is great, but I’m guessing most people don’t have a dehydrator at home. We do, because we make our own dog treats sometimes. But you can also make them in the oven. Turn the heat down to low, and let them dry out, low and slow. Make sure you check on the oranges frequently though, because you don’t want them to burn!

But if that’s too much work, then just skip it. Garnish with a lemon wedge and an orange wedge instead. It’s quicker and easier, and that way you get to drink sooner! You can also choose to rim your glass with sugar if you so choose. If you want to rim your glass, use some of the burnt orange syrup on the rim of your glass, then dip it in sugar. If you want to pull out all the stops, zest some orange into the sugar before rimming the glass.

secrets to success;

• The dehydrated oranges and simple syrup take a little time to make, but once you make them up front, you’re set for a good number of cocktails. It’s great to make ahead for a party and then mix up the drinks when you need them.
• For the dehydrated orange garnish, the best way is to slice the orange with a mandolin. This will ensure you get thin slices of orange that will dehydrate quickly. The dehydrated orange garnish looks fancy, but you can always swap it our for a wedge of lime and a wedge of orange.
• If you want to stretch your syrup, add some extra orange juice and sugar. Just keep the ratio 1:1. I used about 250ml each of orange juice and sugar.

Looking for other drinks?

• For a spooky twist on a cocktail, check out these witch potion halloween cocktails.
• Apple cider sangria is a festive fall treat!
• Strawberry shortcake vodka slush is a perfect cool summer treat.