We found this gem in our archives way back in 2012. Some things never go out of style and nothing’s ever felt more 2020 than a really good freshly made cocktail at home.

This rosemary-spiked sparkler comes from Leanne Citrone, an LA stylist whose home and garden we perused way back when — and whose kitchen we rifled through just this year (see here!). Leanne is one of those natural hostesses who knows how to thrill us with all the right details, like this homemade syrup and a freshly squeezed cocktail.

No need to stress yourself out, if you’re feeling the overwhelm of the present season and making your own herbal syrup seems near impossible, we invite you just to pour yourself a glass of wine and read through the recipes for fun.

The rosemary simple syrup keeps in the refrigerator for a week or so and can be made ahead of time. If blood oranges are hard for you to come by – navel oranges are also delicious!

Blood Orange Gin Sparkler with Rosemary Syrup
Prep time: 5 min – Cook time: 10 min

Ingredients

For the simple syrup:
2 cups / 480 ml water
1 cup / 6.5 oz / 185 g sugar
4 tablespoons (~2 sprigs-worth) fresh rosemary leaves
1 bay leaf (optional)

For the cocktail:
blood oranges
gin
ice cubes
tonic water (or sparkling water)

Instructions

Combine the water, sugar, rosemary, and bay in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer for 3-5 minutes, or long enough for the sugar to dissolve, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and let infuse for 10 minutes. Strain into a jar to cool completely.

In the meantime, juice and strain your oranges, you’ll need 3 tablespoons / 1.5 tablespoons of juice for each drink.

To make each drink combine you’re going to combine equal parts gin, juice, and tonic water with a bit of syrup and ice. So, its:
3 tablespoons / 1 1/2 oz gin
3 tablespoons / 1 1/2 oz freshly squeezed blood orange juice
1-2 teaspoons of the rosemary syrup in each tall glass
(I used kolsch glasses here).

Stir to combine, fill each glass 2/3 full with ice and top off with 3 tablespoons / 1 1/2 oz tonic water. Stir again and you’re set.