In case you haven’t noticed, my Instagram account and this blog have seen my seasonal infatuation with the exotic little blood orange. Not only does it perfectly marry sweet, sour and tart in one little package, but it’s also like the Jane Birkin of fruit – supermodel of the earth, looking fabulous with little to no dressing or tzsujing, with a coyness like it just rolled off the tree like that.
So as the season starts to fade away until next winter, I am desperately trying to savor and cherish each and every bite and sip I can get from my the last few blood oranges left in my fridge.
The Oscars happened on Sunday night, and I quickly realized this was the perfect occasion for a celebratory cocktail. The recent mixology trends combine savory with sweet, and after taking a quick roll call of my fridge, I found the perfect complement to my blood orange supermodel: the boho-chic herbaceous finish of rosemary.
And voila! A super easy little cocktail celebrating the bright, sweet and tart flavors of blood orange with the earthiness of rosemary in one little glass of happiness. Enjoy!!
Rosemary Infused Blood Orange Martini
Ingredients
- 1/2 c granulated sugar
- 1/2 c water
- 1-2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, plus 2 more for garnish
- 1-2 medium blood orange(s), with one separate slice for garnish per cocktail (you want about 1/3 – 1/2 c of juice)
- 4 jiggers unflavored vodka (I use Kettle One or Tito’s)
- 8 ice cubes
- splash of soda water to taste
Directions
1. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, water and rosemary. Stir continuously together to combine until the sugar dissolves, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Turn heat to low and continue to simmer for five minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool down for about 10 minutes.
2. Slice the blood orange in half, and slice two more thin slices for garnish. Peel the rest of the orange and throw into a blender (taking care to remove any seeds), and blend the blood orange until it is all juice. Strain the juice through a mesh strainer or sieve over a small bowl to remove the pulp. (Alternatively, you can juice the orange by hand or with a juicer.)
3. In a shaker, combine two jiggers of rosemary syrup, two jiggers of juice, vodka and four ice cubes. Shake vigorously for about 30 seconds, and pour into cocktail glass. Add club soda to taste and to top off.
4. Garnish with slice of blood orange and rosemary sprig.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for second cocktail.
