You’d never guess it, considering how few cocktails I post on this here blog, but I’m actually kind of a cocktail nerd.
Our booze cabinet overfloweth with all sorts of cocktail makings, from obscure amaros to fruity liqueurs to small-batch American whiskeys and more, plus more kinds of bitters than you can shake at.
So obviously, there was no way I was going to pass up the chance to participate in Cocktail Day when the topic first came up.
When the time came to decide on a drink, I absolutely knew I’d be doing something with Meyer lemons, considering they’re in season right now and I just can’t get enough of their subtly floral lemon-meets-mandarin perfume.
Their vibrant colour and citrusy flavour are the perfect antidote to the icky grey that tends to blanket Toronto at this time of year.
At first, I thought about doing a hot toddy of sorts, seeing as the Polar Vortex had us freezing our butts off in subzero temperatures.
And then it warmed up. A lot.
So much so that the blanket of ice covering the city melted away into a soggy, muddy, drizzly mess, which is most definitely not hot toddy kind of weather.
After spending the better part of an afternoon chipping away at the thick layer of slippery ice outside my house, I desperately wanted something bright and refreshing to counteract all that slushy grey.
This drink was the answer. It’s effervescent and bright, with woodsy rosemary to balance out the brightness of the Meyers, plus a splash of gin for another layer of aromatic, slightly herbal flavour.
Stir in soda water for fizz, and you’ve got yourself a lovely pick-me-up after a long slushy grey day. (Or pretty much any day, for that matter.)
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Meyer Lemon Rosemary Gin Fizz
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 25 mins
- Yield: 2 1x
Description
Meyer lemons and rosemary come together in this contemporary twist on an old-fashioned classic.
Ingredients
Meyer Lemon Rosemary Syrup:
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 2 thick strips Meyer lemon zest
Gin Fizz:
- 4 oz gin
- 3 oz fresh-squeezed Meyer lemon juice
- 1 1/2 oz Meyer Lemon Rosemary Simple Syrup
- Club soda, to top off
- Lemon slices, for garnish
- Rosemary sprigs, for garnish
Instructions
Make the Syrup:
- In a small saucepan set over medium-low heat, combine water, sugar, rosemary sprigs and lemon zest.
- Bring the syrup to a simmer, and cook for 2 minutes or until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat and let steep for 15 minutes. Strain the syrup into a glass container and chill until ready to serve (it’ll keep for up to 1 week).
Shake Up the Cocktails:
- In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine the gin, lemon juice and simple syrup. Shake vigorously for about 15 seconds.
- Strain into two chilled highball glasses filled with ice, and top each one off with a splash of club soda. Garnish with lemon slice and rosemary sprig.
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It’s Cocktail Day! Don’t forget to check out the other fabulous bloggers mixing it up with us today:
- Pomegranate Party Punch by Cravings of a Lunatic
- White Cosmopolitans by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Hot Buttered Chocolate Rum by Cookistry
- Bacon Jalapeno Bloody Mary by Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
- Blood Orange Old Fashioned by Kelly Bakes
- Caipirinhas by Food Lust People Love
- Chocolate and Peanut Butter Martini by Hungry Couple
- Chocolate Cupcake Cocktail by JavaCupcake
- Ciderhouse Whiskey by From the Bookshelf
- Citrus Cranberry Punch by Dinners, Dishes, and Desserts
- Coconut-Key Lime Pie Martini by Home Cooking Memories
- Egyptian Martini by Cooking In Stilettos
- Espresso Martini by Liv Life
- Frosty Lemon Drop Martini by The Hopeless Housewife
- Frozen Marshmallow Mudslide by 365 Days of Baking & More
- Ginger Raspberry Fizzy by Try Anything Once
- Iced Cake Martini by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
- Le Jardinier by Confessions of a Culinary Diva
- Mandarin Mulled Wine by Food Babbles
- Meyer Lemon Rosemary Gin Fizz by Crumb
- Muddled Rosemary and Pineapple Cocktail by My Catholic Kitchen
- Peach Sparkler by Noshing With The Nolands
- Pineapple Margarita by Miss in the Kitchen
- Pomegranate Orange Spritzer by Dizzy Busy and Hungry
- Safe Sex on the Beach by Mom’s Test Kitchen
- Side Car with Dried Cherries by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Winter Fruit White Wine Sangria by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
- Apple Pie Moonshine by Lola’s Kitchen
If you ever give a cocktail class please let me know. I am the worst at mixing cocktails at this very moment and I learned that the hard way. :-) Your gin fizz makes me thirsty just to look at it! I love the lemon and rosemary combo. And it looks absolutely gorgeous.
I hope you have a good start to your week!
Your photos are lovely! The cocktail sounds pretty special too.
You know me and meyer lemons. Love this. It’s gorgeous.
Oooh, this is interesting. I’ve just recently started liking gin, and I like the idea of paring it with the rosemary. Really creative!
Love the meyer lemon syrup! Great drink!
Oh, wow, your photos are spectacular! And such an irresistible cocktail, too :)
Gin, Rosemary, and Lemon – yes please! May I have another glass?
I love to add herbs to my cocktail. Rosemary is my favorite especially this time of year. I can snip a sprig or two even in the cold of winter. The hubbie is a gin lover. I will have to make this for him.
this drink is such a perfect winter combo: sunshiny lemon and woodsy rosemary are so wonderful together, in anything, but with gin? i’m in. totally in.
First of all, your photos are simply beautiful!! And second of all, I’m loving the ingredients you have here. I tried something similar at a farm dinner (Suzi’s Farm) last year and I’ve not replicated it. I think this is really close!
I love rosemary in a cocktail, it adds such a unique taste. Your cocktail is gorgeous!!
★★★★★
I need this drink in my life… like now. YUM!
Love the flavors in your gorgeous drink, Isabelle! My husband is the gin drinker in our family but I think I’ll make an exception to try this. It looks wonderfully refreshing!
Oh, this looks so good…
★★★★★
Having recently made up a batch of gin fizzes at home I totally agree with you about it being a pick me up/brighten your day type of drink. Plus the addition of meyer lemons is a genius idea.
This is gorgeous – and gin is always my choice additive! I got a shiny new cocktail book for Christmas, and now I want to dive into it face first! (Your photos, by the way, are drop-dead-gorgeous!)