Winter Blood Orange Mocktail Recipe
With their striking color and citrusy, juicy flavor profile, blood oranges are excellent for drinks, whether that's a glass of deep red orange juice, a cocktail, or a non-alcoholic mocktail. And just what gives blood oranges their special color anyway? It comes from anthocyanin, a pigment that also gives blueberries and raspberries their color. The pigment comes into play when the fruit is grown in places with warm days and cool nights. Whatever the reason, the color is lovely and makes for an eye-catching drink, as well as a sweet and tasty one.
Recipe developer Michelle Bottalico has crafted a blood orange mocktail recipe that's just right for winter. Using particular ingredients to upgrade mocktails at home can elevate your drinks to something special. In this case, Bottalico includes steps to infuse honey with a sprig of fresh rosemary and a pod of star anise, giving the sweet honey an herby touch and a hint of warm spice (and don't toss the pod, because it's also used to garnish the drink). Lime juice and a topping of ginger beer round out the complex, delightful flavor and give it a bit of fizz.
With a three-part garnish of star anise, a blood orange slice, and a fresh sprig of rosemary, this mocktail is not only delicious, but it's truly a beautiful drink to serve and enjoy. Although you can make it in any season, perhaps substituting a mint garnish in the summertime, the recipe as written may become your new mocktail favorite for the colder months.
Gather your winter blood orange mocktail ingredients
For this recipe, you will of course need blood oranges. You will also need honey, fresh rosemary sprigs, a star anise pod, lime juice, and ginger beer. Opt for freshly-squeezed lime juice if you can for the freshest flavor. If you can't find ginger beer, you could substitute ginger ale (although the drink will be sweeter and have a tamer ginger flavor) or sparkling water.
Infusing the honey with rosemary and star anise is the first part of the recipe, and the recipe yields ¼ cup of infused honey. You only need a teaspoon for one drink (or more to taste), but it's hard to make that small a quantity of infused honey, so you'll have some leftover. You can mix up more drinks or save it to use again.
Step 1: Heat the honey
Place the honey in a small saucepan on low heat.
Step 2: Add rosemary and star anise to honey
Place 1 sprig of rosemary and the star anise pod in the pan and stir to coat them in the honey.
Step 3: Simmer the honey
Bring the honey to a low simmer and let cook for about 10 minutes.
Step 4: Cool the honey
Remove the pan from the heat and remove the rosemary and star anise pod from the honey, reserving the pod for garnishing the drink. Transfer the honey to a jar or container and set aside to cool.
Step 5: Slice the oranges
Cut the blood oranges in half and cut a round slice about ¼-inch wide from the center of one orange half. Set the slice aside. If the oranges are large you can cut the slice from the end if that will fit in your glass better.
Step 6: Juice the oranges
Juice the oranges with a citrus juicer until you have 4 ounces (½ cup) of juice.
Step 7: Stir the liquids
Pour the blood orange juice, lime juice, and 1 teaspoon of the rosemary-infused honey into a rocks glass and stir. Taste and add more honey if desired.
Step 8: Add ice
Fill the glass with ice.
Step 9: Top the drink with ginger beer
Top with ginger beer.
Step 10: Garnish and serve the winter blood orange mocktail
Garnish with the reserved star anise pod, the reserved orange slice, and the second sprig of rosemary. Cut the orange slice in half if it doesn't fit in the glass. Serve immediately.
Pairs well with winter blood orange mocktails
Winter Blood Orange Mocktail Recipe
This wintery blood orange mocktail features fresh blood orange juice, ginger beer, and a rosemary- and star anise-infused honey.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 sprigs rosemary, divided
- 1 star anise pod
- 2 blood oranges
- ½ ounce lime juice
- 2 ounces ginger beer
Directions
- Place the honey in a small saucepan on low heat.
- Place 1 sprig of rosemary and the star anise pod in the pan and stir to coat them in the honey.
- Bring the honey to a low simmer and let cook for about 10 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and remove the rosemary and star anise pod from the honey, reserving the pod for garnishing the drink. Transfer the honey to a jar or container and set aside to cool.
- Cut the blood oranges in half and cut a round slice about ¼-inch wide from the center of one orange half. Set the slice aside. If the oranges are large you can cut the slice from the end if that will fit in your glass better.
- Juice the oranges with a citrus juicer until you have 4 ounces (½ cup) of juice.
- Pour the blood orange juice, lime juice, and 1 teaspoon of the rosemary-infused honey into a rocks glass and stir. Taste and add more honey if desired.
- Fill the glass with ice.
- Top with ginger beer.
- Garnish with the reserved star anise pod, the reserved orange slice, and the second sprig of rosemary. Cut the orange slice in half if it doesn't fit in the glass. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
| Calories per Serving | 423 |
| Total Fat | 1.2 g |
| Saturated Fat | 0.3 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.0 g |
| Cholesterol | 0.0 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 110.0 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 8.2 g |
| Total Sugars | 99.4 g |
| Sodium | 10.6 mg |
| Protein | 3.5 g |
How can I cut orange wedges, slices, and twists to garnish cocktails and mocktails?
To cut orange wedges, first cut off the stem and blossom ends of the orange. Then slice the orange in half, slicing through both cut ends. Lay one half of the orange cut side down and make two inward-facing diagonal slices to separate it into three wedges. Repeat with the other half.
To make orange slices, cut off the ends as described above, but don't cut the orange in half. Position your knife parallel to one of the cut ends, about ¼-inch higher up the orange. Cut a slice, keeping your knife as straight as possible so the slice has an even width throughout. Continue slicing up the orange at even ¼-inch wide intervals until you've cut as many slices as you need. You can use an orange slice as a wheel garnish by making one cut in the orange from the peel up to the center and placing the notch on the edge of the glass to make the wheel stand up.
An orange twist is a fun and sophisticated way to garnish a drink. To make a twist, first cut an orange slice as directed above. Then separate the peel from the flesh with a sharp paring knife around the circular slice, and cut the peel at one point to open the circle. Wind the piece, peel side out, around a chopstick to curl it, and place it in your drink.
Can I make rosemary-infused honey without heating the honey?
The method used in this recipe for making the infused honey is a quick one. The honey is ready after a 10-minute simmer (and the time it takes for it to cool down). However, this method heats the honey, so it's not raw and it degrades microbes and the overall nutritional benefits in the honey. If you prefer to use raw honey, you can opt for a slow infusion instead. Plan ahead, because the slow method takes more time. It also results in a milder flavor, but you can infuse it longer to deepen the flavor.
Pour the honey into a jar and then remove the leaves from the rosemary and place them in the honey, along with the star anise pod. Swirl the jar to coat the leaves and pod in honey. Seal the jar and let it sit on the counter at room temperature for a minimum of 24 hours. You can let it infuse for up to a week or two for more flavor. If your home is hot, infuse the honey in the refrigerator and just give it a little more time.
The time is not set in stone. After 24 hours, open the jar and taste the honey. If you're satisfied with the flavor, strain the leaves and pod out and your honey is ready to use. Otherwise, let it sit longer until the flavor is as pronounced as you like.