It’s a strange thing, missing your favorite cocktails for 9 months! I’ve been easing back into mixing up a tasty adult beverage since having Jane; my hiatus seems to have my cravings and flavor preferences flipped upside down. I used to love really sweet and floral drinks, but I’ve been instead reaching for the hoppy beer my husband drinks and seeking out much spicier, citrus-y drinks. When I saw blood oranges stacked up high at the grocery store this week, my taste buds were inspired and I saw a sweet citrus cocktail with a punch of spicy ginger tang in my future. I took the blood orange juice and fresh ginger, and simmered them down with water and sugar to make a flavorful simple syrup. The simple syrup dressed up some champagne in a sweet little pair of coupes which I garnished with orange zest. It’s a perfect cocktail for Valentine’s Day, a little bit sweet and a little bit spicy, and of course a bit bubbly too! Full recipe below:
- 1 Cup freshly squeezed blood orange juice
- 1 Tbsp of orange zest
- 1 Cup sugar
- ½ Tsp fresh ginger, thinly sliced
- Champagne
- Orange zest for garnishing
- Combine fresh orange juice, orange zest, sugar, and ginger in a pan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
- Turn heat down and let simmer until sugar has dissolved and syrup has thickened, about 15 minutes.
- Remove from heat; strain syrup and set aside to cool completely.
- Add the syrup to taste to a glass of champagne, and garnish with fresh orange zest.
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