Happy New Year! As 2017 draws to a close today, I want to take some time to reflect on the last 365 days. This past year has brought a lot of change to my life; some euphoric and some heart-wrenching. In every case, these changes have helped me to grow and gain clarity on who I am and what I want in my life. This blog has been one of the big changes in my life and I am so grateful to my family and friends who have supported me in this endeavour and in all aspects of my life.
It feels so good to be able to say that 2017 was the year that I FINALLY started my food blog. It was a long time coming and the hard work, time and creativity it demands, make it SO fulfilling.
If you resolve to do one thing in 2018, resolve to do something that is purely for yourself. This blog is the one thing that I do for myself, it gives me a creative outlet where I can hone my craft as a writer, a photographer and a cook. I do hope that other people take some joy from reading my posts or in making these recipes and sharing them with friends and loved ones.
Today, I’m sharing a recipe to help you welcome 2018 in style and in good taste. This is a remixed version of the classic cocktail, the French 75.
As you might have guessed, I am big on giving edible gifts. This year I gifted my friend Claire a bottle of this homemade Rosemary Honey Simple Syrup, along with a bottle of gin and this recipe. I make an effort to keep beautiful liqueur bottles after I’ve emptied them because they make for lovely vessels for future gifting. I packaged Claire’s syrup in a bottle that once housed Chase Elderflower Liqueur.
I understand Claire will be savouring this tipple with her husband when the clock strikes midnight.
I suspect you’ll have most of the ingredients on hand to whip up this cocktail, so you won’t need to make a mad dash to the liquor or grocery stores before they close today. You probably have rosemary and lemons on hand from your holiday entertaining. Combine them with some fresh ginger, honey and boiling water to create this flavour-packed simple syrup.
To account for the lemony flavour of the simple syrup, I’ve cut back on the proportion of lemon juice in the cocktail to ensure the acidity doesn’t overwhelm.
The rosemary, honey and ginger in the simple syrup really add a whole new dimension to this timeless tipple. The recipe for the simple syrup will yield approximately 8 oz, so you should have enough to make 10 of these cocktails if you’re throwing a festive fête this evening.
I hope 2018 brings you much joy, love, laughter and growth! Cheers!
French 75
This remixed version of the classic cocktail adds notes of rosemary, ginger and honey to build complexity in this crowd-pleasing tipple.
- 1 ½ oz gin chilled
- ½ oz lemon juice
- ¾ oz rosemary honey simple syrup
- 3 oz sparkling wine chilled
- Lemon peel for garnish
- ½ lemon peel
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup boiling water
- 2 tsp fresh ginger chopped
- 2 sprigs rosemary
-
In a champagne flute, add gin, lemon juice, rosemary honey simple syrup and top with 2-3 oz of sparkling wine. Garnish with twist of lemon peel.
-
Peel half a lemon with a potato peeler. Add peel to a heatproof jar, along with 2 tsp chopped fresh ginger, 2 sprigs of rosemary, ½ cup honey and ½ cup boiling water. Stir to dissolve the honey and allow to cool.
-
Put in a lidded jar and store in the fridge for 4 to 24 hours.
-
Strain out liquid into a jar or decorative bottle for gifting.
Rosemary Honey Simple Syrup recipe from: Hunt, Michelle P.E. and Laura Panter. "Gin Simple Syrup." Food and Drink. Holiday 2016.
