Rosemary Pomegranate Spritzer/ Just Rosemarried

Last fall, my sister married the man of her dreams, and for a part of their wedding gift, I created a signature cocktail for their special day. When I was home for a little bit the spring before their wedding, I presented a few different cocktails for them to taste, and they decided to go with the pomegranate based cocktail. This cocktail was inspired by a Pomegranate Rosemary Spritzer on the cocktail list during the fall months at Castle Hill Inn. My sister isn’t a fan of sparkling wine, a significant component of the original drink. I reworked the cocktail to use vodka at the base. I also used the rest of the main ingredients from the spritzer being Pomegranate juice, and a rosemary simple syrup.

Pomegranate juice has a deep dark purple color. Pomegranates are grown throughout Asia and Mediterranean countries, Africa, India, and California. The fruit itself is about the size of an orange with a thin red skin with hundreds of small bright red transparent oval-shaped edible seeds inside. In the center is a tiny edible seed. The seeds are encased in a thick cream color bitter pith. Pomegranates are rich in potassium and vitamin c. I find the best way to incorporate pomegranates’ sweet-tart flavor into a cocktail by using the juice. You can find pomegranate juice reasonably easily and even blended with cherry, blueberry, or tangerine juice in the market. I tend to use pomegranate juice by itself.

For a savory, herbaceous flavor, I used rosemary. Rosemary is a robust and tough herb that has a lemon and pine flavor to them. The herb has been used since 500 bc and native to the Mediterranean region. The leaves are thin ovals almost needle-like with a silver-green color. I find that rosemary can be very strong if too much is used. I find the best way to incorporate the flavor is through a simple syrup. I take equal parts of sugar and water in a saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil. Once the syrup has come to a boil, I turn off the heat and then add in a few sprigs of rosemary. I will only allow the rosemary to infuse for about 10 minutes. I find any longer the pine flavor becomes too strong and overpowers all of the cocktails’ flavors.

This drink can be made in two different ways: sparkling wine, and the other is with vodka. Starting with the sparkling wine version, I like to use prosecco as the base. You can use any sparkling wine such as champagne or cava if you wish to, but I think that the bright citrus notes found in prosecco complement the drink better than the brioche and yeast as flavor champagne has. Prosecco is made from the glera grapes grown in the northern Veneto region of Italy. The two main differences between champagne and prosecco are the grapes and how the second fermentation takes place. The champagne’s grapes are chardonnay, pinot noir, and pinot Meunier while prosecco uses the glera grapes. The second fermentation is how the wine develops the effervescence. For champagne, this process happens entirely in the bottle, referred to as the traditional method, but for prosecco, this process is done in large stainless steel tanks referred to as the Charmat method. Both have an addition of sugar and yeast to produce the bubbles in the wine, but with prosecco, the process is fasters and bulk. The wine doesn’t receive a chance to age with the new addition of yeast, lees, which leads to a crisp, clean flavor.

For the nonsparkling version of the cocktail, I choose vodka as the base spirit. I am not a huge fan of vodka because it tends to leave a medicinal flavor to anything, but many people are a fan of the spirit. By definition, vodka is a clear, flavorless, and aromaless spirit. With this being true, each vodka is slightly different in flavor because of the ingredients they are distilled from, traditionally rye, wheat, or potato. I find grain-based vodkas such as Belvedere are crisp and clean in flavor, while potato-based vodkas such as Chopin have a layer of funk to them. For example, there is a vodka from Hawaii called Pau Maui.with this vodka being distilled in Hawaii, and they take advantage of local vegetation, especially pineapple. Using pineapple in the distillation process, I find that this vodka has a very slight subtle tropical fruit note aroma, which I find pleasing. As mentioned before, any vodka that is your favorite would work with this cocktail.

To make the Pomegranate Rosemary Spritzer, I fill a wine glass with ice. I then add 2 ozs. of pomegranate juice, 1 oz. of rosemary simple syrup, and a splash of lemon juice, about a quarter ounce. I then top the wineglass off with Prosecco about 3 oz. Using a bar spoon, I give everything a quick stir and garnish the cocktail with some fresh rosemary spears. The finished cocktail has a rich dark purple color with pine aromas coming from the rosemary. The drink is light and effervescent with a tart and sweet flavor.

For the vodka version of this drink, it’s just as simple. Start by filling a Collins glass with ice. From here, add 1 oz. Of rosemary simple syrup, and 1 ½ oz. of vodka, and a splash of lemon juice. I then fill the glass with pomegranate juice, about 2 ½ oz. I use a bar spoon and give everything a good stir. I garnish this version the same way a fresh rosemary sprig or some thinly sliced lemon.

Each version of this drink has a great fall and holiday feel to them. The pomegranate juice has an outstanding balance of sweetness and tartness. With the rosemary giving the cocktails a floral pine aroma and flavor, it almost resembles a Christmas tree scent. The prosecco helps make the cocktail perfect for any celebration, and the vodka version is excellent for any cocktail that is needed. This cocktail will always have a special place in my heart because I could create something special for my sister on her important day.

Cheers,

Ryan

Rosemary Pomegranate Spritzer

yields 1 drink

2 oz. Pomegranate juice

1 oz. Rosemary Simple Syrup

1/4 oz. fresh-squeezed lemon juice

Sparkling Wine, to fill the glass (I like to use Prosecco)

Method:

1. Fill a wine glass with ice.

2. Pour the pomegranate juice, rosemary simple syrup, lemon juice into the wine glass.

3. Using a bar spoon, give a quick stir to combine all of the ingredients.

4. Fill the wine glass with sparkling wine, about 3 oz.

5. Gently mix everything with a bar spoon.

6. Garnish with a thin lemon wheel or fresh rosemary

Just Rosemarried

yields 1 drink

2 1/2 oz. Pomegranate Juice

1 oz. Rosemary Simple Syrup

1 1/2 oz. Vodka

1/4 oz. fresh-squeezed lemon juice

Method:

1. Fill a collins glass with ice.

2. Pour vodka, pomegranate juice, rosemary simple syrup, and lemon juice into the glass.

3. Using a bar spoon, stir everything to combine all of the ingredients.

4. Garnish with a thin lemon wheel or a sprig of fresh rosemary

Rosemary Simple Syrup

yield 8 oz.

1 large sprig of rosemary

5 oz. of sugar

5 oz. of water

Method:

1. In a saucepot, combine the sugar and water.

2. Bring the sugar-water mixture to a boil string occasionally to ensure all of the sugar has dissolved.

3. Remove the syrup from the heat and add the rosemary.

4. Allow for the rosemary to step in the syrup for 10-15 minutes. I find any longer, and the flavor of rosemary becomes overpowering when used in a cocktail

5. The finished syrup should have a strong rosemary flavor without being overpowering and have a slight green color.

6. Once the syrup is cooled, store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.