'Flu Shot' Cocktail

'Flu Shot' Cocktail

Happy Friday y’all!

We have come to the close of another long week, and nothing says Friday like a new cocktail.

This week I visited Dillon’s Small Batch Distilleries in Beamsville, which uses local fruits, botanicals and more to make awesome artisanal spirits. They make 15 types of bitters, and I want them all! Santa? Are you listening?

For this cocktail I’ve used some of Dillon’s Orangecello, a punchy liqueur with bitter orange flavours that pairs perfectly with citrus juice, sparkling wine or is great on its own.

Here I’ve gone ‘orange forward’ using rich citrus flavour and a dash of Dillon’s Pear Bitters to make a vitamin C packed tipple that I sure think will keep any seasonal colds at bay. Paired with a wintery rosemary simple syrup, this will do ya better than a flu shot. **Not medical advice!!! Get your damn flu shot – just enjoy this afterwards!

Makes 2 cocktails

Ingredients

3 ounces of Dillon’s Orangecello

½ cup of fresh squeezed orange juice

1 ounce of rosemary simple syrup (recipe follows)

¼ ounce of orange blossom water

4 dashes of Dillon’s Pear Bitters

Orange twist and rosemary sprigs to garnish

Method

Fill a shaker with ice and combine liqueur, orange juice, rosemary simple syrup and orange blossom water and shake until chilled

Strain into brandy snifters or specialty cocktail glasses

Garnish with orange twist and rosemary sprigs

Dash 2 drops of Dillon’s Pear Bitters onto each cocktail

Enjoy!

Rosemary Simple Syrup

A great addition to any cocktail pantry, this pairs especially well with lemon, orange and grapefruit cocktails.

Ingredients

3 sprigs of rosemary (beaten)

1 cup of sugar

1 cup of water

Method

On a cutting board, beat the rosemary sprigs with the back of a large knife, until aromatic. This helps the herb release its essential oils, which will infuse into the simple syrup.

Combine rosemary, sugar and water in a medium sauce pan and heat over medium-high heat. Stir until a low boil begins and sugar is completely dissolves

Remove from heat and let cool completely

Once cooled, store in a sealed container with rosemary sprigs

**Props used in this post include, antique brandy glasses, ice bucket and tongs from Southworks Antiques, glass reamer and measuring cup from Anthropologie, Global knife and Epicurean wood fibre cutting board.**