A Knockout Cocktail Recipe for the First Day of Spring
By Matt Duckor
So, here we are in the middle of winter’s last death rattle (a.k.a. the month of March), trying desperately to believe that spring is right around the corner. Times like these call for a drink—one that nods to the promise of spring and the happier (er, warmer) times ahead, but also nods to our current miserable (er, cold) reality. For me, that drink involves vodka.
Please keep reading.
Vodka, for whatever reason, doesn’t get a lot of love in cocktail snob circles. “It tastes like nothing,” snobs say. For too many years it’s been associated as the default I-don’t-care-what-I-drink spirit, the spirit that goes with any and every mixer available (cranberry juice, orange juice, Red Bull) and upsold to bottle service-loving club goers. All this is to say that vodka has a bad rap it doesn’t deserve.
But Epi’s March house cocktail is here to change all that. Everybody, meet The Spring Forward. My idea for this drink started by wanting to make a drink with rosemary-infused something (I’m a visionary, I know). To me, the piney herb embodies this month’s seasonally in-flux sensibilities. And vodka and rosemary, it turns out, were meant to be together—the spirit’s neutral flavor takes instantly to herbal infusions, transforming into something deliciously herby and woodsy in just 24 hours.
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Doing this at home might sound like it has the makings of a complicated, cooking-cum-science project, but it couldn’t be easier. Simply pour a bottle of vodka into a resealable glass jar, slip in a couple of large rosemary sprigs, seal, and let it sit on the countertop for a day.
From there, it’s cocktail time. To that delicious rosemary-infused vodka I add some of the incredible citrus that’s available absolutely everywhere right now. (Any citrus will work, but I like Ruby Red grapefruit for the slightly sweet, slightly bitter high note it adds. Plus, the pinkish-redish flesh makes for one pretty-looking cocktail.) I round things out with trusty simple syrup to mellow vodka’s hot bite, and garnish with fresh rosemary (though if the idea of smelling the stuff every time you take a sip makes you nervous, skip it).
The resulting cocktail can be made in batches, which is exactly how I suggest you drink it. I mean, you’re going to need a big batch while you wait for April. Who knows, drink enough of these and you might even start to enjoy March.
RECIPE: THE SPRING FORWARD
INGREDIENTS:
For the rosemary-infused vodka:
1 (750ml) bottle vodka
2 large rosemary sprigs
For the cocktail:
1 1/2 ounces rosemary-infused vodka
1/2 ounce simple syrup
1/2 ounce fresh ruby red grapefruit juice
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
Rosemary sprig, for serving
PREPARATION:
For the rosemary-infused vodka:
Place rosemary sprigs in a 1-qt. resealable glass jar and pour in vodka (reserving bottle). Let sit at room temperature for 24 hours. Taste, and if desired rosemary flavor is present, remove the rosemary sprigs and pour back into vodka bottle, or infuse for an additional 24 hours if more flavor is desired.
For the cocktail:
In a cocktail shaker, combine rosemary-infused vodka, simple syrup, grapefruit juice, and lemon juice. Add ice and shake. Strain into an ice-filled rocks glass and garnish with rosemary sprig.
Cooks’ Note: The rosemary-infused vodka keeps indefinitely, stored in a glass bottle or jar. If you can’t find ruby red grapefruit, feel free to use the white or pink variety.
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PHOTO: CHELSEA KYLE
