charlene prince birkeland

I almost got a tattoo in Spain.

We were in Sevilla and discovered a chic, reputable tattoo parlor, which also was recommended by our Sevillan barber. My sons and I inspected their work on Instagram, naturally, and I saw a cute tattoo of an orange with leaves.

Oranges and Sevilla are like churros and chocolate. Which, by the way, Sevilla plays host to one of the best churro spots in the world. I digress.

Orange trees abound in Sevilla. A woman I met on the train told me the city has the most orange trees in the world. I didn’t fact check this, but I believe her given that you see a tree on every street.

I figured it would be fitting to get the orange tattoo but in the end, I decided against it. I was in the sun and in the pool daily, and that doesn’t really work when you have a fresh tattoo. Also? I worried about getting an infection while I was on the road.

So no orange tattoo. But to commemorate my love of Sevilla, I decided I’d bring home something else that was orange: Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla Gin. You can buy it in the states if you have it imported from your local wine shop.

Bartenders in Spain are really generous on the liquor. When you ask for a Gin and Tonic, they mix it right in front of you and it goes like this: Big glass with ice, pour gin while counting to 10, pour tonic until it hits the rim of the glass.

It’s a little easy for me to get tipsy on the 10 count. That’s okay when you’re sitting by the pool. But I had to adapt the recipe count now that I’m back home. Because, you know, reality. ¡Salud!

Sevillan Orange Gin + Tonic

• Glass with ice
• Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla Gin
• Tonic
• Star Anise
• Whole Clove
• Orange Zest garnish

Pour Tanquereay over ice while counting to four (I AM NOT KIDDING). Fill the rest of the glass with tonic. Garnish with one star anise, a whole clove, and a thin strip of zest from one orange.