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Thursday, December 6, 2018

Holiday Cocktails - Rosemary Lemon Vodka Martini

Herb cocktails or mocktails are all the rage right now.  In fact I do a program called Making Herbal Mocktails that is available to garden clubs and libraries.  To get a description, see our "Programs" page of the blog.

But this month with everyone entertaining, I thought it would be a great time to focus the monthly recipes on different Herb-theme cocktails. So to start things off I have  a seasonal flavor of Rosemary.


With this recipe you need only one special ingredient, Simple Syrup.

To make simple syrup you need 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar or honey.  You warm them together in a saucepan until entirely dissolved.  To make this herbal, you can add sprigs of fresh or dried herbs to the syrup after everything is dissolved and allow the herbs to steep while the mixture cools, then you strain out the herbs and have a flavored simple syrup.  Simple syrup will only keep for about 2 weeks in the refrigerator, so you should make it in small batches or freeze it.

For this month we will give you a variety of different cocktails and mocktail alternatives to try out. Many herb flavored drinks can be made without alcohol, so you can enjoy some holiday cheer with out the introduction of alcohol. To find all the cocktail/mocktail recipes for this month, use the search box and type "MockDec" to find the rest.  If you want recipes from other months, search Recipe2018 or the search terms listed at the bottom of this post.


Rosemary Lemon Vodka Martini Cocktail
2 ounces vodka
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons simple syrup
2 sprigs rosemary
Crushed ice
1 lemon peel, for garnish

Directions: 
Add vodka, lemon juice, simple syrup, and 1 sprig rosemary to a shaker. Fill shaker with ice and shake 20 to 30 times. Strain into a martini glass garnished with lemon peel and remaining rosemary sprig.
Don't just mix this in a glass, you need to shake it.  The shaking not only chills the drink, but infuses the rosemary into the liquid as the ice bruises the sprig.  You will get an aromatic release of the rosemary scent and flavor imparted to the drink to give some perfect holiday flair.


For 2018 the monthly recipe themes will be:
   January - Chicken Soup (ChickJan)

   February - Beef Stew (StewFeb)
   March - Jambalaya (JambMar)
   May - Ham and Shrimp Dishes (ShrHamMay)
   June - Bread recipes (BreadJun)
   July - Grilling (GrillJul)
   August- Garden Delights (GardAug)
   September - Salsa, Corn and Jelly (SCJSep)
   October - Squash Dishes  (SquashOct)
   November - Pumpkin Recipes (PumpNov)
   December - Herbal Cocktails (MockDec)

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