Blood Orange Rosemary Martini

Sweet, tart, and with a surprise herbaceous note, these Blood Orange Rosemary Martinis are sure to be a hit.

Let’s be honest, January is kind of a bummer. After the fun of the holidays, January roars in with usually surprises that waited for the new year and just a general malaise. But one of the bright spots, and I mean BRIGHT spots, are when blood oranges become available at the farmer’s market. These are one of my favorite fruits to cook with for obvious reasons. It’s that color! So vibrant it’s sometimes hard to believe they come from nature. I love their sort of stepped up sweetness and tartness. Plus, the name. It’s just fun! And they’re so versatile in recipes they just always get my juices flowing.

So this January has been particularly full of challenges (how many days are there in this month?!), and the bright spot has got to be a blood orange cocktail. I love cocktails that have some herbaceous notes to them (check out my Hazelnut Thyme Champagne Cocktails for a perfect example). I love it even more if that herb feels just a bit unexpected. That is the best way to sum up this cocktail. It’s sweet, juicy, bright, and then it has this fragrant, savory, herbaceous note on the back from the rosemary simple syrup that just feels like a welcome surprise. It’s the kind of cocktail you’ll just keep sipping to keep checking out that surprise. As a result, these can be seriously dangerous!

The rosemary note comes from a rosemary simple syrup, which is, as billed, super simple to whip up. Just boil equal parts water and sugar with a few sprigs of rosemary and let the sugar dissolve. Once the mixture is boiling, take it off the heat and let it cool down. Strain it and put it in the fridge for when you’re ready for cocktail hour! Then it’s very easy to shake this cocktail up but it’s definitely the kind of drink that will make you feel like you went to a fancy cocktail bar and parted with $18 a drink. Your luck is looking up, though, because instead you’re at home and can enjoy to your leisure!

Try this cocktail for your next happy hour–it would go so well with rosemary snacks like a rosemary focaccia or rosemary spiced nuts. Either way, this one is a showstopper and a surefire way to brighten up January.