Average
Citrusy, Sour & Sweet
4 Minutes
Cocktail Glass
Ingredients
The X-Rated is a shaken vodka cocktail made with Absolut Vodka, grapefruit juice and white cacao liqueur – sharp, bitter and creamy in equal measure.
Shaken with ice and poured into a cocktail glass filled with crushed ice, this is a drink for cocktail soirées, upscale dinner parties or anywhere you want something a little more interesting than the usual order.
How To Make AN X-RATED Cocktail
Bar tools you’ll need
Jigger
Boston Shaker
Hawthorne Strainer
Citrus Press
Knife
How to Mix
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Cut a Grapefruit in half, then use a citrus press or citrus elbow to juice it.
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Use a jigger to measure and pour the freshly squeezed Grapefruit Juice into a cocktail shaker.
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Use the jigger to measure and add Absolut Vodka, followed by White Cacao Liqueur to the shaker.
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Fill the cocktail shaker with ice cubes.
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Shake well until the outside of the shaker is frosty on the outside.
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Fill a cocktail glass with Crushed Ice.
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Place a Hawthorne strainer over the shaker and strain the cocktail into the cocktail glass filled with crushed ice.
All about the X-Rated Cocktail
The X-Rated is a shaken cocktail made with Absolut Vodka, grapefruit juice and white cacao liqueur, strained over crushed ice into a cocktail glass.
White cacao liqueur is the ingredient that makes this drink. Sweet, creamy and chocolatey without being heavy, it sits alongside the sharp bitterness of grapefruit juice – an unlikely pairing that works.
Spirit-forward, bitter, and creamy. The grapefruit juice leads with a bold, tart bitterness, while the white cacao liqueur brings a sweet, chocolatey depth underneath. Absolut Vodka ties the two together – clean and smooth, letting both the bitterness and the sweetness come through without either one taking over.
The X-Rated has no documented origin story. What we do know is that it first appeared on the Absolut Drinks YouTube channel in 2014 and beyond that, its history is largely a mystery.
The combination of grapefruit juice and white cacao liqueur isn’t an obvious one — which may be exactly why this drink has remained something of a hidden gem.
- Make your own grapefruit juice
Fresh grapefruit juice makes a noticeable difference to this drink – the natural bitterness and acidity of a freshly juiced grapefruit is sharper and more vibrant than anything from a carton. A grapefruit and a citrus press or citrus elbow is all you need. - Use crushed ice
The X-Rated is meant to be served over crushed ice rather than cubes – it chills the drink quickly and gives it the right texture as it melts slightly into the grapefruit and cacao liqueur.
- Glassware
Serve in a cocktail glass filled with crushed ice – no garnish needed. - Grapefruit twist
If you really want to add a garnish, the most natural choice is a grapefruit twist, which ties back to the grapefruit juice and adds a citrus aroma that complements the bitterness of the drink.
X-Rated Cocktail FAQ
White cacao liqueur is a chocolate-flavored liqueur made from cacao beans, with the color removed during production, giving it a clear or pale appearance despite its chocolatey flavor. It’s sweet and creamy without being heavy, and pairs particularly well with sharper, more bitter ingredients like grapefruit juice.
You can, but fresh is considerably better here. The X-Rated only has three ingredients, so the quality of each one matters – freshly juiced grapefruit brings a sharper, more vibrant bitterness that bottled juice can’t quite replicate.
Not exactly. The white cacao liqueur might suggest something sweet and indulgent, but the sharp bitterness of the grapefruit juice keeps it firmly in cocktail territory rather than dessert. That said, it can make for an excellent after-dinner drink.
