BLOOD ORANGE & ROSEMARY COCKTAIL

A few weeks ago, I went ate at this restaurant (one of my new faves) and had a blood orange cocktail - at the bar - by myself. There are lots of firsts are in that sentence. It was my first time at that restaurant, it was my first time eating or drinking anything with blood oranges and it was my first time drinking at a bar completely alone. Granted my friend showed about about 30 minutes after I sat at the bar, but that's beside the point. :)

Let's discuss blood oranges for a moment. Have you had them before?? They are DELISH! They definitely taste better, to me, than regular oranges. They have this really sweet, tropical flavor that makes it perfect for cocktails. And that color... The flesh is this beautiful deep red color which is the result of anthocynin. Anthocyanin is a red pigment that develops in certain citrus fruits that ripen in environments with warm days and cooler nights. Anthocyanin is also a powerful antioxidant, which makes this fruit highly nutritious. It's cancer-fighting and a great source of Vitamin C, fiber and potassium...

I have been on the hunt to find recipes with blood oranges since I had that cocktail a few weeks ago. I thought I would start off with this simple little cocktail that paired blood orange juice with rosemary. Those two together are a match made in heaven I tell ya... This cocktail is really simple to make and extremely refreshing. The sweetness of the juice tastes perfect with the woodsiness of the rosemary. The vodka just kicks everything up a notch. It's really good and possibly the perfect little cocktail for Valentines Day... 

Here is what you need and what to do: (yields two cocktails)

Cocktail

1/2 cup fresh blood orange juice
1/2 cup rosemary simple syrup (see recipe below)
2 oz vodka, or more to taste
ice
Rosemary sprig and blood orange slice, for garnish

Add the orange juice, simple syrup and vodka to a cocktail shaker. Shake to combine the ingredients. Pour into a glass and add ice. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary and a blood orange slice.

Rosemary Simple Syrup

1 cup water
1 cup sugar
2-3 rosemary sprigs

Add the water, sugar and rosemary to a saucepan. Bring it up to a boil. Let it boil for one minute or until the sugar is dissolved. Remove the mixture from the heat and let it steep for 20 minutes. Remove the rosemary sprigs and store in a container in the refrigerator. It should last up to a month. It's obviously perfect for cocktails, but you can also use it to sweeten tea, smoothies and coffee.

Images by me