Fresh orange juice, white rum and a homemade rosemary syrup make a tall, sunny drink that tastes like a holiday. It’s our go-to cocktail for summer evenings.
Rosemary syrup: the secret ingredient
Rosemary and orange are a classic pair. Steeping a couple of sprigs in a simple sugar syrup gives the drink a piney, herbal note that keeps it from tasting like plain juice. The syrup takes five minutes on the stove, and the batch makes enough for four drinks.
Squeeze your own juice
Fresh orange juice is worth the effort here. One large orange gives you about three ounces, exactly what you need for one glass. A splash of lime juice and a couple of dashes of orange bitters balance the sweetness.
Make it your own
- Swap the white rum for gin or tequila.
- Leave out the rum and add more soda water for an alcohol-free version.
- Making drinks for a crowd? Mix the rum, juices and syrup in a pitcher and add the soda water to each glass.
Try it on this recipe card
- Ingredient Links: The "orange bitters" ingredient links to a shop. The link is set once for the ingredient and appears in every recipe that uses it.
- Taxonomy Term Links: The "Cocktail" course links to a page of our choice.
- Adjustable Servings: Use the 2x or 3x button: the amount of syrup in the shaking step changes with the servings.
- Kitchen Timer: Even the 15-second shake has a timer.
Orange Blast
A tall rum and orange highball with homemade rosemary syrup and a splash of soda. Bright, herbal and not too sweet.
Print Recipe
Ingredients
Rosemary syrup
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 2 sprigs rosemary
Cocktail
- 2 oz white rum
- 3 oz orange juice freshly squeezed, from 1 orange
- ½ oz lime juice
- 2 dashes orange bitters
- 2 oz soda water chilled
- ice
Garnish
- 1 slice orange
- 1 sprig rosemary
Equipment
- Small saucepan
- Cocktail shaker
- Copa glass or a large wine glass
Instructions
Rosemary syrup
- Bring 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup water and 2 sprigs rosemary to a simmer in a small saucepan, stirring until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes.
- Take the pan off the heat and let the rosemary steep while the syrup cools, at least 20 minutes. Remove the rosemary. This makes enough syrup for about 4 cocktails.
The syrup keeps for 2 weeks in a jar in the fridge. Make it ahead and the cocktail takes 2 minutes.
Cocktail
- Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add 2 oz white rum, 3 oz orange juice, 1/2 oz lime juice, 3/4 oz of the rosemary syrup and 2 dashes orange bitters. Shake hard for 15 seconds.
- Strain into a copa glass filled with fresh ice and top with 2 oz soda water.
- Clap 1 sprig rosemary between your hands to release its aroma and tuck it into the glass with 1 slice orange.