Happy New Year’s Eve! After a wonderful week that included visiting with family and friends, I have begun to look forward to the new year. Déjà vu? It is by complete coincidence that I chose to post a grapefruit-inspired drink on both last New Year’s Eve and this one.
I have wanted to make this drink for some time. The two times per year my girlfriends and I get it together enough to make it to brunch, we typically find ourselves at a restaurant that serves a very similar – if not the same – drink. It is delicious, refreshing and the perfect use for winter citrus. As suggested in the original recipe, the rosemary-infused simple syrup is also a great sweetener for lemonade.
Speaking of lemons, this Rosemary Gin Fizz Cocktail is another delicious drink that also makes use of rosemary. I drank a couple of those on Christmas day and found them lovely. I then made these Rosemary Grapefruit Sodas the day after Christmas. Given that I am just now posting them, I have resolved to be more attentive to my teeny tiny blog in the New Year.
Last year, I wrote my resolutions were to practice yoga on a more regular basis as well as to make a galette, Charlotte and Baked Alaska. I succeeded at the yoga and the galette. I did not even try the Charlotte and Baked Alaska, and perhaps more surprising to myself, I did not care. Preferences change, and I decided I simply was not in the mood. Maybe I will get around to those desserts this year and maybe I will not. Either way, I’m sure it will be fine.
I have decided I really do not see a problem with making resolutions any time during the year. My goal on Memorial Day was to finish the five published Game of Thrones books by Christmas. I have been reading (which in this case means looking at the book on my dresser) A Dance with Dragons since September. In my defense, I have read Gone Girl, Where We Belong, and A Casual Vacancy in the meantime, all of which I thoroughly enjoyed.
Tonight, I have been invited to a party. I would prefer to stay at home and relax on the couch with a book (see above), but I decided to kick-start achieving my resolutions by getting out of my comfort zone. If you find yourself in need of a little resolution inspiration, I found the lists 32 Things You Should Stop Caring About and 25 Things You Need to Forget About rather enlightening.
This year, I struggled to choose my resolutions. At what point do resolutions cross the line into a plain ol’ to do list? The best I can come up with is to start rinsing with mouthwash. I brush and floss, so that next step seems logical.
I am also going to try to meditate, which for me simply means pausing for 15 minutes out of the 16 hours I typically spend awake. This means I must stop for just one of 64 of my 15-minute waking increments. This sounds achievable, yet I have been working on taking just these few minutes for myself since July. I always tell myself that I will start tomorrow. This time, tomorrow literally is tomorrow. Right after I make cupcakes. Enjoy!
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup rosemary, roughly chopped
- 1 cup grapefruit juice (about two grapefruits)
- 5 cups club soda or plain sparkling water
- Ice, for serving
- Rosemary sprigs, for garnishing
- Combine the plain water, granulated sugar and rosemary in a saucepan over high heat.
- Stir occasionally until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is hot to the touch, about three to five minutes.
- Remove the syrup from the heat and allow it to sit for at least 30 minutes. This will allow the rosemary flavor to infuse throughout the syrup.
- When the time has passed, use a mesh strainer (or colander in a pinch) to strain the syrup into a pitcher. Discard the strained rosemary.
- Add the grapefruit juice and stir to combine.
- Immediately before serving, add the club soda or sparkling water and again stir to combine.
- Serve over ice and garnish each glass with sprig of rosemary.
Thanks for sharing the links to those lists. I needed that.
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Rosemary and grapefruit can be hard to beat, but I’m glad you enjoyed my gin and rosemary cocktail as well. Happy new year!