It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere | Rosemary Gin Fizz

Alert. I am elbows deep in butter and sugar. I went to the grocery store yesterday with a rather large streak of flour on my forehead. I didn’t notice the flour until I got home. Damn it.

As a consequence of the above, I am waist-deep in dirty dishes. Help?

My kitchen is a mess. Every square inch of my dining table is covered with baking, homemade gifts, and cards. I haven’t eaten a meal at the table in days. My floor is covered with wrapping paper and items that still need to be wrapped up all nice and pretty.

It’s quite likely that I’m keeping the local grocery store in business. I have stopped there at least once a day for the past week. How?!

And then there’s the sleep issue. I can’t remember the last time that I slept more than six hours in one night. Don’t get me wrong, I like sleep. I love sleep. But I don’t have time to sleep right now. I’d totally be all good if there were like, 36 hours in a day instead of a measly 24. Clearly, whoever invented 24-hour days didn’t have a very busy schedule!

But I digress. And I’ve learned that when life throws stress and busy-ness and craziness your way, it doesn’t hurt to sit back, take a few deep breaths, and enjoy a tasty beverage. Preferably one that has a decent alcohol-to-mix ratio. You’ve earned it, after all.

It’s quite likely that you’ve been (and will continue) enjoying a beverage or two over the holiday season. ‘Tis the season for eating and drinking, no? Rum and egg nog (yes), spiked cider (yes!), mulled wine (YES!)…so many choices. Well, I’m here to offer you another choice, something a little less sweet, a little bit lighter (on taste, not alcohol…who do you think you’re talking to here?).

I stumbled upon this concoction on…Stumble Upon a few weeks ago and bookmarked it to try. I made it, I drank it, and I loved it. The rosemary flavor is lovely, but not overpowering. I’m ready to serve a few of these fizzies up over the holidays.

Rosemary Gin Fizz (adapted from Sassy Radish)

2 ounces gin (I used Tanqueray)
2 TBSP. fresh lemon juice
2 TBSP. Rosemary Syrup (recipe below)
Ice cubes
Cold club soda
1 rosemary sprig, for garnish (optional)

Grab yourself a beverage vessel. I am obsessed with serving things in mason jars, so I grabbed one of those. Use whatever tickles your fancy. Combine the gin, lemon juice, and Rosemary syrup, and give it a good stir. Add ice cubes to fill the glass halfway, and top with club soda. This is not a sweet drink, so if you want more sweetness, you could always add more syrup, or use tonic water instead of club soda…and then you’d have a mighty delicious beefed up G & T! Delicious, either way. Garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary, if using.

To make the Rosemary Syrup:

2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
4 rosemary sprigs, rinsed

Combine all of the ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for a couple of minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to steep for 10 minutes. Strain the syrup and chill. Store in an airtight container (ie. a mason jar!) in the fridge for up to one week.

Just a note: The first three photos in this post were taken via Instagram, a free app on my iPhone. I adore Instagram, and tend to snap a lot of photos with it on a daily basis, many food-related, but some not. Several of them have made an appearance on the blog before. If you’re interested in following me on Instagram, you can find me under the username “@onceuponarecipe”. Bottoms up!