What do you do with a big bag of blood oranges hauled back from the market?
The choices are endless. With their sweet flavor with hints of berries and cherries, blood oranges naturally lend themselves to sweet and savory recipes. I could make a pound cake or muffins or a salad or sauce for chicken. But there’s something to be said for just squeezing the heck out of them for a tall glass of juice. Or any refreshing drink.
But of course, that’s a lot of work to be gulped down in 5 minutes. Or at least, that’s how fast I gulp down freshly squeezed juice. So this is my way of extending my enjoyment of blood oranges: use a few ounces for a cocktail and save the rest of the juice for later. And 6:30pm on a Wednesday after a productive day of work seemed an especially fine time for a cocktail anyway.
I had a few sprigs of rosemary in the fridge, left over from roasting chicken, and made a rosemary simple syrup. Adding some gin and topping off with some club soda, I made a sort of gin fizz with my favorite citrusy and herbal flavors of late winter.
Plus, it’s rather pretty to look at, no?
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 blood oranges
- 2 ounces gin
- Ice cubes
- Club soda
- In a small pot, combine the water and sugar over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat, add the rosemary, and let stand for 15 minutes to allow the rosemary flavor to infuse the liquid. After 15 minutes, strain the rosemary syrup and allow it to cool to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, juice the blood oranges. You’ll end up with about 2 to 3 ounces blood orange juice.
- In a cocktail shaker, combine 4 ounces of the rosemary syrup, the blood orange juice, gin, and ice cubes. Shake until very cold, then strain into a tall glass. Top off with club soda and serve.
Sounds wonderful & would be great on a warm Southwestern day like today! Thanks!
Thanks, Patricia. Though it was snowing here in the Northeast today, this drink is great in any kind of weather!
Looks so refreshing!
Post-work Wednesday is always a good time for a cocktail Diana! I absolutely love blood oranges, but I can never tell if it’s the flavor or that fantastic color that makes them so appealing.
Great idea and perfect on a day like today.