Rosemary Grapefruit Cocktail
I've been on the hunt for fall cocktail recipes for a few weeks now, searching for an option that would capture that quintessential autumn taste in a glass and pair with the beautiful copper bar set that I picked up at BYOB Cocktail Emporium recently. And though at first glance this Rosemary Grapefruit Cocktail may not appear to be your typical fall drink, there's something about the flavour profile that felt really appropriate. Maybe it's the fact that I'm really a summer girl at heart, or it could be because our weather has actually been quite mild for the season.
Regardless, the little concoction that I ended up with is refreshing and delicious, and I absolutely love the kick of cayenne that balances the tart grapefruit juice perfectly. The elderflower sparkling water was a bit on an impulse add, and complemented the rest of the flavours perfectly.
Oh, and if I'm being totally honest, I was hoping to garnish the cocktails with the candied grapefruit found in this recipe - because how delicious does that sound? - but I had a bit of a mishap in the kitchen, and lets' just say I was sad to lose my favourite saucepan to a mess of burnt, rock hard sugar. Hence the rosemary garnish, which I actually ended up loving for a bit of holiday flair.
Happy Friday!
Rosemary Simple Syrup //
1 cups of water
1 cups of sugar
3 sprigs of rosemary
Cocktail //
2 ounces of gin 4 ounces grapefruit juice ½ ounce rosemary simple syrup Sparkling water (we used an Elderflower flavour) Dash of cayenne Sugar and grapefruit wedge for rimming
For the Rosemary Simple Syrup //
In a small sauce pan over medium low heat, dissolve the sugar into the water for about about five minutes. Take it off the heat before it boils. In a heat safe container or bowl, pour the warm sugar water over the rosemary sprigs and allow it to steep for at least 1 hour.
For the Cocktail //
1 // Mix cayenne and sugar in a small bowl and rim the glass with a piece of grapefruit, then dip it in the mixture, twirling it around so the rim is fully covered, and fill the glass with ice.
2 // In your cocktail shaker, add ice, gin, grapefruit juice, and a dash of cayenne if you like a little kick. Shake several times.
3 // Using a strainer, pour over the ice filled glass, and top with sparkling water of your choice.
4 // For the garnish, twist a sprig of rosemary around a cocktail pick (bonus points if it's as adorable as these little gold horses!), and place across the glass.
