Rosemary Citrus Fizz Mocktail

This is the first mocktail recipe I ever shared and one my two go-tos I make most often for other people. I was in Charleston, SC near a Trader Joe’s and felt a rush of motivation to create nonalcoholic mocktails based on beloved classic cocktail. This works for some cocktails. A number of vodka cocktails can be made into mocktails with some minor changes. Some others really need their spirt partner to make them what they are. This mocktail came out of frustration from not being able to nail a nonalcoholic jalapeno margarita. It was clear I needed to focus less on substitutes and more on what flavors combine to make an elevated drinking experience you want to savor just like a cocktail. Combining juices alone won’t do that in a way that feels like a real, sophisticated alternative to a cocktail. I had to tap into other tools in the culinary toolbox.

This mocktail uses one of my favorite herbs that I don’t often have and excuse to use despite how well it works in both savory and sweet contexts. Rosemary, man. I’d been loving it in coffee paired with brown sugar - you get smoky, woody, and an intense herb flavory with these two. I wanted that in a mocktail. I started with a rosemary simple syrup and caramelizing the oranges. You can get a similar smoky flavor by using my Rosemary Brown Sugar simple syrup recipe (scroll to the bottom of the recipe.)

This mocktail recipe has a few more ingredients than my other recipes. The combination of citrus flavors mixes a fun juice that can be enjoyed on it’s own with two others that usually need something to go with them to make them more palatable - grapefruit and lemon - just like alcoholic spirits. If you have the time it’s a fun one to make to impress your sober curious friends, or serve and let them mix in a lighter alcohol. Here’s how you make it:

CITRUS + ROSEMARY FIZZ
makes 1 mocktail

INGREDIENTS
2 oz blood orange juice (1 medium orange)
2 oz grapefruit juice
1/2 oz lemon juice
1/2 - 1 oz rosemary brown sugar simple syrup (depending on your preference. recipe here)
2 oz of plain seltzer (lemon, orange, or grapefruit can work, too)

METHOD
1. In a cocktail shaker or jar with a lid, add all ingredients except the seltzer and shake.
2. Fill a short glass with ice
3. Pour juice mixture over ice
4. Add seltzer and stir gently
5. Add a spring of rosemary (optional) and enjoy!