Now that Thanksgiving is in the books for 2018, who’s ready to get into the Christmas spirit? I am for sure, and one sip of this Rosemary Infused Grapefruit-Cranberry Martini will get you there too!
I don’t know what it is about Christmas, but this season always gets me in the mood to make a festive cocktail (or two!). Whether it’s my husband and I sipping a warm spiked drink while we decorate the house with the kids, or whether we’re at a Christmas gathering with friends and/or family, a holiday inspired drink makes everything even more merry and bright!
Cranberry and rosemary scream “Christmas” to me and they seemed to be the perfect match for a festive holiday martini. I added the grapefruit to add more depth to the flavor because I definitely did not want this Rosemary Infused Grapefruit-Cranberry Martini to seem anything like a typical “vodka cranberry”, which, to me, is much too sweet and one dimensional.
I like my drinks to be less sweet and more tangy/sour. I find grapefruit to be plenty sweet on its own, however, fresh cranberry needs a bit of added sugar, and I felt honey was the perfect fit with the other flavors in this martini. I hope you agree! When it comes to the grapefruit for this, be sure to use a red grapefruit so it will add a brighter color to this martini. Plus, I find red grapefruit to be naturally sweeter and more flavorful.
Herb-infused cocktails seem to be all the rage at high end restaurants, and I’m here to tell you it’s easy to make something similar at home! Take one look at the recipe below and you’ll see what I mean. While you will taste a hint of rosemary, it plays a supporting role rather than the main flavor character.
As you’re decorating, baking or celebrating the season with your family and friends, I hope you give this Rosemary Infused Grapefruit-Cranberry Martini a try! Enjoy!
Rosemary Infused Grapefruit-Cranberry Martini How-To Photos:
Start with fresh cranberries – they should be in the produce section of your grocery store right now!
Simmer water, honey, and fresh cranberries to make a simple syrup.
Add rosemary to the cranberry syrup; cover and let stand so the rosemary flavor infuses the syrup.
Strain the cranberry syrup through a fine mesh sieve. Press down on the solids to remove as much of the liquid as possible.
You’ll be left with a cranberry and rosemary flavored simple syrup. Chill that a bit.
Squeeze fresh grapefruit. Or, if you’re making a large batch for a party, you can substitute bottled unsweetened grapefruit juice.
These martinis are easy to shake up in a cocktail shaker.
Rosemary Infused Grapefruit-Cranberry Martini
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup fresh cranberries
- ½ cup water
- 1/3 cup honey
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 cup grapefruit juice
- ¾ cup vodka
- Ice
- Fresh rosemary sprigs optional
- Fresh cranberries optional
Instructions
- In a small saucepan combine 2/3 cup cranberries, the water and honey. Cook over medium-low heat until just simmering and cranberries are starting to pop, stirring frequently. Simmer, uncovered, 2 minutes more. Add 3 sprigs rosemary, pressing down to make sure they are covered with liquid; remove from the heat. Cover saucepan; let stand for 15 minutes.
- Strain cranberry mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a glass measuring cup. Press down on cranberry mixture with the back of a spoon to press out as much of the liquid as possible. Discard solids. You should have about ½ cup of the cranberry syrup; cover and chill syrup about 15 minutes.
- To make each martini, in a cocktail shaker combine ¼ cup of the grapefruit juice, 3 tablespoons of the vodka, 2 tablespoons of the chilled cranberry syrup, and a few cubes of ice. Cover; shake well. Strain into a chilled martini glass. Repeat to make three more martinis with remaining grapefruit juice, vodka, cranberry syrup and additional ice. If desired, garnish martinis with fresh rosemary sprigs and fresh cranberries.
Notes
