Blood Orange Bourbon Cocktail

I actually love Thursdays.  Sometimes better than Fridays.  Don’t get me wrong, I love Fridays, but Thursdays feel so free and you still have the WHOLE weekend to look forward to.  I tend to have this irritating quality where I worry about how I’m going to feel when things are over rather than enjoying the moment.  On Thursdays, I don’t actually have that problem because nothing’s started yet.  It’s all still sitting out in front of me.

Although, I have a this other sneaky feeling my love for Thursdays may have come from law school.  First, I didn’t have any classes on Fridays, so Thursday WAS the start to the weekend; and second, in law school, Thursday nights were Bar Review!

For those of you familiar with the Bar Exam and the Review classes a prospective lawyer takes to pass it, you might be wondering if I’ve gone a little nutty.  But I’m not talking about that Bar Review, I’m talking about the Bar Review while you’re in law school–where the entire class goes and reviews a different bar or pub every Thursday!  Waaaay more fun than the ACTUAL Bar Review.

Honestly, this is likely where my [heart] for Thursdays originates from, and probably why I enjoy cocktail hour on Thursdays more often than Sunday through Wednesday.  So, welcome to Thursdays on The Hungry Dater, and an extension of the law student’s favorite kind of “Bar Review!”  On Thursdays, I plan on doing one of two things:  1) Reviewing great bars proving awesome hangouts for happy hours or dates; or 2) Sharing classic or new cocktail recipes to help you relax and unwind (or get crazy and celebrate… up to you) at home.

So without further ado, please meet my first cocktail: The Rosemary Blood Orange Bourbon Cocktail, also known as “The Blood Rose.”  And as my 4 year old cousin would say, “Cheer!”

 

Rosemary Simple Syrup

1 C. Sugar in the Raw ***

1 C. Water

4-6 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary

Put the sugar and water into a small pot and bring to a boil.  When it boils turn off the heat, add the rosemary sprigs and cover the pot for approximately 15 minutes to steep the rosemary flavor into the syrup.  Once your fifteen minutes is up, put the syrup in a container and discard the rosemary.  If you want a stronger rosemary flavor, steep it longer.

***I used the Sugar in the Raw here because I felt like it had a fuller flavor that would stand up to the Bourbon a little better.  Feel free to change it with white sugar if you prefer or if you don’t have Raw Sugar on hand.

“The Blood Rose Cocktail”

Rather than measuring with measuring cups, I measured with the top of my martini shaker.  But you could just measure in “parts” if you want, and use the recipe as a basis for ratios.

1/2 Cap Rosemary Simple Syrup **

3 Caps Four Roses Bourbon ***

2 Caps Fresh Squeezed Blood Orange Juice

8 Splashes Bitters

1 Ice Cube

Add all ingredients to a martini shaker and shake with the ice cube.  Add either a fresh large cube or several fresh small cubes to two glasses and pour over the ice.  Garnish with a 1/2 sprig of Rosemary.

**I would change the amount of syrup depending on how sweet you like your drinks.  When it comes to good whisky, I prefer to taste the alcohol, but you could put as much of the syrup as you want in this drink to make it as sweet as you like.

***I love Four Roses Bourbon so that’s what I used, but you could use any good bourbon here.  You may even be able to exchange bourbon for Rye, though I didn’t try that.  I’d love to hear in the comments if you tried something different to get an even better result!!!