Ah, summer. I can never decide if I love or hate this season. I'm not a fan of hot, hot heat so I typically get annoyed right around this time of year and start wishing for cool fall days when I can cozy up in a sweater and not feel like death both inside and out. I don't know if it's because I grew up in Minnesota or if I was just born this way, but I hope you'll love me anyway.
Since it is so hot, I'm going to embrace the ability to channel simple, cool cocktails and icy cold garnishes. My brain may be too melty to come up with a new, exciting cocktail, but sometimes simple is better (with a little visual flair of course). This rosemary martini (a combination of rosemary simple syrup, vodka and Vermouth) is the perfect way to cool down on a hot summer night and the garnish is easy to have ready to go in your freezer. You can use frozen grapes to garnish any number of drinks, but I love the elegant simplicity it brings to a martini. Add a little fresh sprig of rosemary from the garden and you've got one classy cocktail! And yes, the rosemary does at least remind me of cooler temperatures with its piny flavor.
Not only do the frozen grapes look delicious, they help keep your drink cold just a little longer. And they make for a tasty snack when your glass is empty. As for the rosemary infusion, you can use almost any herb you have on hand: thyme, sage, basil...get creative!
We are leaving for a road trip to Saugauck, Michigan tomorrow morning. Any suggestions for what to do when we get there? Any good stops along the way? We are traveling with our 1 1/2 year old son and our 1 1/2 year old black lab. We could use lots of suggestions!
Cheers to Friday! Enjoy your weekend everyone!
Rosemary Martini + Frozen Grapes
Yield: 2 Cocktails
Ingredients
- 4 oz vodka
- 2 oz dry vermouth
- 2 oz Rosemary Simple Syrup
- Rosemary sprigs for garnish
- 2 frozen grape garnishes
Instructions
- When your garnishes are frozen, go ahead and make your cocktail. Simply add the vodka, vermouth, and simple syrup to a shaker filled with ice.
- Begin by making your frozen grape garnish. You'll want to do this at least half an hour in advance to the grapes are nice and cold when you put them in your cocktail. I like to make a lot of these and stick them in a freezer bag to I can pull them out any time I need them. All you need to do is this: thread 3 grapes onto a toothpick and place in a freezer bag in the freezer. They are great for snacking, too!
- Shake just until the liquid is chilled, about 20-30 seconds.
- Strain into two chilled cocktail glasses, garnish with your rosemary sprigs and frozen grapes. Serve.