A relatively simple cocktail makes its holiday debut, and it’s a little glass of rosemary-tinged juniper glory. At its heart is the blood red fruit of the pomegranate, married to the juniper of gin. Taking the edge off, and imbuing the whole thing with some sparkle is a topping-off of seltzer. The secret ingredient, and the potent punch of this glass is a bit of simple rosemary syrup, made from equal parts water and brown sugar, heated to boiling then imbued with a few fresh sprigs of rosemary for about ten to fifteen minutes. That brown sugar lends it more depth, and rich color, than the usual simple syrup which utilizes plain white sugar.
The original recipe was found at the Riegl Palate, courtesy of Nicole. I followed it pretty faithfully, choosing a returning Malacca Tanqueray that was said to have notes of cloves, peppercorns and rose. That spicy background works wonders here with the pomegranate juice and rosemary syrup. I might try adding a little Carpano Antica Formula Sweet Vermouth on the next go-round to give it one more layer. The holidays demand a dose of decadence. Topped with some seltzer for fizz, it’s a bright and bubbly jewel of a cocktail, with a surprisingly rich undercurrent that becomes more than the sum of its parts.
This is one of those cocktails that seems designed to show off its garnish: a sprig of fresh rosemary and a dozen pomegranate seeds which, depending on how much seltzer you add, will rise and fall in a festively mesmerizing dance.
