Tag Archives: Rosemary

Take Me to the Tropics Sangria Recipe

Posted on April 19, 2013 | Leave a comment

A good Sangria recipe is one of the most adaptable drinks recipes one can make. It can be made light and refreshing for summer sipping. Or vary the ingredients for a lush, cozy drink during cooler months. Sangrias also make hosting duties fairly easy when entertaining since they can be made ahead of time in pitcher form for batch serve. Better yet, guests will be impressed with your awesome bartending skills. What’s not to love?!

The Take Me to the Tropics Sangria recipe is fruity with light coconut flavor. The color is pale pink so the whole fruits take center stage as edible garnish. This is summery fresh Sangria ideal for outdoor entertaining. The color lends itself to bridal parties and baby showers due to the color.

Take Me to the Tropics Sangria – created by Cheri Loughlin

1-750ml Bottle Riesling Wine

12 ounces Fresh Blueberries – cut small slit in side or cut in half

15 whole Fresh Blackberries

3/4 cup Fresh Mango – cut into 3/4 inch pieces

1/2 Orange – Quartered & Sliced

3 ounces Coconut Rum

3 ounces Coconut Juice

1 Tablespoon Simple Syrup

3 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary – Smack on hand to release aroma

Grated Coconut Garnish – optional

Place all ingredients, except optional grated coconut garnish, in pitcher. Stir. Cover. Refrigerate overnight. Serve over ice. Garnish with grated coconut if desired.

Why do people love Sangria so much? It’s fairly inexpensive and easy to make. It’s delicious and not overly sweet. A good Sangria recipe is fairly flexible to fruits and juices one has on hand. Alcohol content is usually less than single serve cocktails.

Find a few more Spanish inspired drinks and Sangria recipes in the post Wine, Sangrias & Spanish Inspired Cocktails. Learn a little about The History of Sangria and sample one of the original red wine punches, the 1800s Claret Cup Recipe found at Wine Intro.

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Posted in Cocktails, Wine Cocktails

Tagged Blackberries, Blueberries, Coconut, Coconut Juice, Coconut Rum, Mango, Orange, Riesling Wine, Rosemary, Sangria, Simple Syrup, Wine

Review: Cruzan Strawberry Rum

Posted on November 6, 2012 | Leave a comment

Premium Cruzan Rum from Island of St. Croix and Strawberry Liqueur

42 Proof / 21% alcohol

Suggested Retail Price: $13 to $15 range

Availability: Widely available within the US.

Tasting Notes

Color: Clear

Aroma: Strawberry lip gloss. Nice rounded berry aroma. No burn.

Tasted Neat: Very sweet. Strawberry is light, not too overwhelming. I think if the strawberry flavor were more pronounced this might take on a more artificial feel, but works nicely as is.

Mouth Feel: Thin.

Possible Uses, Pairings and / or Cocktails: Quick and easy strawberry daiquiri. Possibly mixed with tea for easy two ingredient cocktail.

Cruzan Kiss

1 ounce Cruzan Strawberry Rum

4 ounces Rose Champagne

Place rum in cocktail shaker with ice. Shake to chill. Strain into chilled champagne flute. Top with Rose Champagne.

Cruzan Strawberry Rosemary Punch

1 – 750ml Bottle Cruzan Strawberry Rum

6 ounces Fresh Lime Juice

24 ounces Ginger Ale

6 Rosemary Sprigs

Rosemary Ice*

Lightly tap 4 rosemary sprigs against palm of hand to release fragrance. Place 4 rosemary sprigs in bottle of strawberry rum. Allow to stand for an hour. Pour rum into pitcher or punch bowl. Remove rosemary stems and discard. Add lime juice and chill until ready to serve. Add rosemary ice and ginger ale to rum mixture just before serving. Garnish individual servings with small rosemary sprigs.

Rosemary Ice: Fill round container with water and several rosemary sprigs. Freeze. OR Bring water to boil. Pour over several rosemary stems. Steep for several minutes. Discard rosemary. Pour rosemary water into individual ice cube trays.

Find more Cruzan Rum reviews and cocktail recipes by following the link.

Review sample courtesy representatives of Beam Global Wine & Spirits / Cruzan Rum

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Posted in Cocktails, Reviews

Tagged Champagne, Cruzan Kiss, Cruzan Rum, Cruzan Strawberry Rosemary Punch, Cruzan Strawberry Rum, Fresh Lime, Ginger Ale, Ice, Punch, Rose Champagne, Rosemary, Rosemary Ice, Rum, Strawberry Rum

Camarena Rosemary Lemonade

Posted on August 20, 2012 | Leave a comment

Camarena Rosemary Lemonade

Camarena Rosemary Lemonade isn’t your typical “add lemonade and stir” long drink. Rosemary infused ice cubes add an aromatic touch and unique flavor treat. As the infused ice slowly melts, rosemary flavor releases little by little into the drink. The flavors mingle giving the Camarena Rosemary Lemonade proper water dilution, excellent aroma and exceptional flavor.

Camarena Rosemary Lemonade – created by Cheri Loughlin

1-1/2 ounce Camarena Reposado Tequila

4 ounces Lemonade

3 to 4 Rosemary Infused Ice Cubes*

Place Rosemary Infused Ice cubes in highball glass. Add Camarena Reposado Tequila. Top with lemonade. Stir. Garnish with additional rosemary sprig or lemon wheel if desired.

Rosemary Infused Ice Cubes

Rosemary Infused Ice should be made ahead of time. It takes roughly 4 to 6 hours to freeze. Don’t just save Rosemary Infused Ice cubes for cocktails. Use infused ice to chill water, regular lemonade, raspberry lemonade, tea, etc. The rosemary provides fabulous visual effect and amazing aromatics to the drink.

*Rosemary Infused Ice – created by Cheri Loughlin

3 cups Water

6 Rosemary Sprigs

Pinch 12 to 15 tips from rosemary sprigs. Set aside. Simmer water. Add remaining rosemary sprigs to heated water. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Strain into heatproof container. Allow to cool. Place rosemary tips you’ve set aside into individual ice tray cubicles. Pour cooled rosemary water over rosemary tips. Place in freezer.

Tip: Before placing ice tray in freezer ~> I like to place a folded paper towel under my ice trays just in case they drip. This keeps anything else in my freezer clean and free from drips. Place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top of the ice tray. Gently run your finger across the top to remove any air pockets. This keeps the ice clean and other aromas from seeping into the ice while it freezes.

Fresh Herbs 460

The next time you have a few fresh herbs leftover from a recipe, think about making infused ice. The herbs won’t go to waste. You’ll indulge your creativity. And there will be a new flavor sensation in your future.

Camarena Rosemary Lemonade makes an excellent summer drink. Think about serving this at your next backyard barbeque, pool party or as an alternative brunch cocktail.

Cocktail Development by Cheri Loughlin commissioned by Camarena Tequila Representatives. Follow Camarena Tequila on Facebook and @Twitter.

[post updated April 23, 2013]

Cheri Loughlin Beverage Consultant & Photography Services

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Posted in Corporate Mixology, Long Drinks

Tagged Camarena Rosemary Lemonade, Camarena Tequila, Cocktail Development, Ice, Lemonade, Lemonade Day, Rosemary, Rosemary Infused Ice, Tequila

Rosy Melon

Posted on January 10, 2012 | Leave a comment

Tequila comes through rather nicely. It is essential to pinch the rosemary spring before placing it into the cocktail as garnish to release the aroma and a bit more herbal flavor within the drink. This allows more fresh feel giving this cocktail a summery, light, sweet aura.

Rosy Melon – created by Cheri Loughlin

2 Watermelon Chunks

1/4 measure Rosemary Syrup*

1-1/2 measure 100% Agave Tequila

Rosemary sprig garnish

Muddle watermelon and rosemary syrup in mixing glass. Add tequila and ice. Shake to blend. Strain into rocks glass over fresh ice. Pinch or slap rosemary sprig to release aroma before placing in glass as garnish.

Rosemary Syrup

1/2 cup water

1 cup sugar

3 to 4 Rosemary Sprigs

Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring frequently allowing sugar to dissolve completely. Toss in rosemary sprigs and remove from heat. Allow to cool completely. Strain into airtight glass container. Refrigerate between uses.

Cheri Loughlin is a leading cocktail and photography resource for beverage companies, event planners, businesses and individuals. High resolution cocktail and beverage stock photography images are available in downloadable digital format in the newly redesigned Stock Photography Gallery at www.cheriloughlin.com.

Twitter, Facebook, StumbleUpon – str8upcocktails @ gmail.com – ©2011 Cheri Loughlin-The Intoxicologist, All Rights Reserved. All opinions, reviews and spirits’ coverage are the personal opinion and decision of Cheri Loughlin.

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Posted in Cocktails

Tagged Rosemary, Tequila, Watermelon

Infusing Flavor into Your Bar Syrup

Posted on May 21, 2008 | Leave a comment

Bar syrup is a funny thing. It is way better than sugar in a cocktail as bar syrup adds no grit to the drink. The flip side is bar syrup adds no flavor. For me, that is a catch twenty-two situation. I want everything in a cocktail to add substance and meaning to the drink. The layering effect is everything. Tiers of flavoring rolling over the tongue and the lingering undertones are what make a cocktail memorable. So why not customize bar syrups for some of our favorite cocktails? Some of the hippest bars across the nation do this very thing.

Take for instance the restaurant Piedmont in Durham, NC. Their cocktail list boasts the Rose Marie. This drink uses freshly made rosemary syrup concocted by the chef expressly for one specialty cocktail.

Rose Marie

2 ounces Gin

1 ounce Fresh Grapefruit Juice

1/2 ounce Rosemary Syrup

1 Rosemary Sprig for Garnish

Fill a cocktail shaker two thirds full of ice. Add gin, juice, and rosemary syrup. Shake for ten to fifteen seconds. Strain into a well chilled martini glass. Garnish with the rosemary sprig. This rosemary cocktail is named after Chef Drew Brown’s favorite Slim Whitman song “Rose Marie.”

If you flipped through a book and found this recipe you might be tempted to glance over it without attempting it yourself. After all, rosemary syrup is not readily available on store shelves. But really this rosemary syrup is only one added step to basic bar syrup. Another name for bar syrup is simple syrup. It is called simple for a reason.

Bar Syrup / Simple Syrup

1/2 cup water

1 cup sugar

Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring frequently allowing the sugar to dissolve completely. This takes approximately five minutes depending on your heat source. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely. Store bar syrup in an airtight glass container in the refrigerator until ready to use. This same recipe can be made with Splenda for a low carbohydrate alternative bar syrup.

Rosemary Syrup

1/2 cup water

1 cup sugar

1 Four inch Rosemary Sprig

Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring frequently allowing sugar to dissolve completely. This takes approximately five minutes depending on your heat source. Remove bar syrup from heat source. Place rosemary spring in a heat proof bowl. Pour hot bar syrup over rosemary sprig. Let cool completely. Strain into an airtight glass container. This will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Today I played around with some of my own flavored syrups by adding fresh fruits; blueberry, raspberry and lemon. This is something you can play around with and try at home as well. Make your syrup with fruit that complements a favorite cocktail you make at home that calls for bar syrup in the mix. Using the basic Bar Syrup Recipe above I added a half cup of blueberries cut in half, a half cup of whole raspberries or three lemons sliced in thirds (exclude the ends) to the water/sugar mix before it began to boil. Be sure to allow the mixture to cool and then strain into an airtight glass container.

You can find information about Piedmont at http://www.piedmontrestaurant.com/ and find out what is on their menu tonight, join the mailing list or take a look at their Flickr Site. To hear the Slim Whitman song Rose Marie on You Tube click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv8vrN2W6zE. You can find other exciting new cocktails and recipes from America’s hippest and hottest bars and restaurants in Food & Wine Cocktails 2008.