Still on a blood orange kick over here – I cannot get enough of this winter citrus, and as I’m starting to feel the first stirrings of spring, I’m trying to use it as much as I can. This time I used it to make a mocktail – not everyone wants to drink all the time. (Is mocktail the worst word ever? Virgin cocktail does not sound much better.) I wanted something fresh but herbal, and I used a recipe I found on this blog, which is an awesome resource I’d never come across before.
As well as juicing about a million blood oranges for this, I also made a rather exciting rosemary simple syrup. The two combined to make a lovely sweet/sour refreshing drink, topped off with soda water. As the recipe originally states, you can easily add vodka (or gin) to this to make an actual drink.
To make the simple syrup:
Boil one cup of water and one cup of sugar in a small saucepan. Add in about four sprigs of rosemary and simmer until the sugar is dissolved. Leave the mixture to cool with the rosemary still in, then strain into a cordial bottle and refrigerate.
To make the drink:
2 oz blood orange juice
1 oz rosemary simple syrup
Soda water to top up
Add blood orange and rosemary simple syrup to an ice-filled shaker and shake until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass with ice, and top up with soda water. Garnish with a slice of blood orange and a sprig of rosemary. (This can be annoying to drink with but it looks cool!)
I love blood oranges! Great recipe, thanks for sharing 🙂
Love the color here. Nice pictures! This drink would be perfect with some gin… or Champagne to top instead of soda! I’m posting a similar drink on Friday. Oh, and we’re on a huge blood orange kick too!
Even though I am someone who does like to drink all of the time, I still appreciate this mocktail.
May I make a “simple’ suggestion, that you alter the ratio on your simple syrup to 1 1/2 cups of water to 1 cup of sugar. You lose no flavor but do lose calories in the shift.
Good tip, thank you!