A few weeks ago I embarked on a fun 24 hours in Philadelphia to celebrate the milestone birthdays of some dear friends (Lauri A, Carolyn R and Cathy Z). We kicked off our adventure at Parc Brasserie on Rittenhouse Square for lunch. Since it was a party we had some wine and cocktails. Sandy C enjoyed a Rosemarin (French for “rosemary”) made from grapefruit vodka, St. Germain, grapefruit juice and rosemary and that’s where the inspiration came from for this drink.
I assumed that the “rosemary” was a rosemary syrup. I’ve made a Rosemary-Brown Sugar Syrup to flavor another cocktail but I knew that was likely too complex for this one (but it does work great with pomegranate and gin). For this syrup I used less rosemary and white sugar. The end result paired beautifully with vodka, St. Germain and lemon juice. I’d recommend using a French vodka such as Grey Goose or Ciroc (made from grapes so it’s gluten-free/wheat-free).
In a nod to Parc (and in keeping with the French theme), I called it a Citron-Rosemarin. As an aside, I’d heard that Parc makes an amazing cheeseburger and I can now confirm that. One suggestion is to add avocado (I know, neither a hamburger nor avocado are very French).
We enjoyed some more good meals and libations plus a laugh out loud kind of experience on the Big Red Pedal Tour. You get to see the sights of Philadelphia from a big pedicycle that seats 15 people (you exert as much energy as you like). It’s a fabulous group activity.
Citron-Romarin Cocktail | | Print |
- Leaves from 2 large rosemary sprigs
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 ounces vodka
- 1 ounce St. Germain
- 1 ounce Rosemary Syrup
- 2 ounces freshly squeezed lemon juice (~ 1 lemon)
- Garnish with rosemary sprig and slice of lemon
- For Syrup:
- Remove leaves from rosemary sprigs.
- In a small saucepan, combine rosemary, water and sugar over medium-high heat. Stir until sugar dissolves.
- Bring to a boil and let boil for a minute.
- Remove from heat and let steep for an hour or two so flavors can develop.
- Strain syrup into a storage container.
- Store for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator or freeze.
- For Cocktail:
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
- Add vodka, St. Germain, rosemary syrup and lemon juice; shake well.
- Pour into two old-fashioned glasses filled with ice.
- Garnish with a rosemary sprig and slice of lemon.
* This syrup freezes well so you can make it ahead of time.
I had the Romarin cocktail few days ago and as I live 2 hours from Philly I feel sad
It is delicious – I shared with my mom one and then another one and then a third one too
Sylvia – So glad you enjoyed it!