November 12, 2015

Lemon & Rosemary Bourbon Sour Cocktail

Name: Lemon & Rosemary Bourbon Sour Cocktail
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 4 min
Total time: 14 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 3 large sprigs of rosemary; 6 tablespoons granulated sugar; 6 tablespoons water; Rosemary Simple Syrup; 8 ounces bourbon; 4 ounces fresh lemon juice; Ice cubes, for shaking and serving; Sprigs of rosemary, for garnish (optional)

This Lemon & Rosemary Bourbon Sour Cocktail is a modern twist on a classic drink. This herb-infused whiskey and rosemary cocktail is perfect for the fall and winter months!

This Lemon & Rosemary Bourbon Sour Cocktail is a modern twist on a classic drink. This herb-infused whiskey and rosemary cocktail is perfect for the fall and winter months! | foxeslovelemons.com

If I were given some sort of quiz on classic cocktails, I would fail miserably. Granted, I’ve never worked as a bartender, so why would I know?

Unless you’re asking for something like a Gin & Tonic where the ingredients are listed right there in the name, I’m probably going to have to do a quick Internet search before I can make you a drink.

For example, for this month’s lemon-centric recipe, I was like “Oh, I know! I’ll make a whiskey sour, except for the sour . . . I’ll use lemon.” Well you know what? Whiskey sours usually call for lemon.

That’s just the standard sour part of the drink. Oops! Guess I wasn’t really being all that original, huh? Oh well, I still got to drink this Lemon & Rosemary Bourbon Sour, so all was well.

Putting a modern twist on a bourbon sour with this rosemary cocktail:

But still, one of my favorite ways to put a modern twist on any classic cocktail is by using a homemade flavored simple syrup as the sweet element. Classic simple syrup is literally just 1 part granulated sugar and 1 part water, gently heated until the sugar dissolves. It could NOT be simpler.

And for very little additional work, you can make an infused simple syrup by doing something as simple as throwing some herbs, whole spices, or fruit peels into the mixture as it heats.

My rosemary simple syrup post gives you all the details you’ll need to make a homemade flavored syrup for this cocktail.

Bourbon used to be my “winter liquor,” and I would stash it away during the warmer months, where I’d opt for vodka or gin. Now, I enjoy bourbon year ‘round, but I still think it tastes better in the colder part of the year.

Call me crazy. And to me, rosemary screams “autumn!” like no other herb, with the exception of possibly sage.

This Lemon & Rosemary Bourbon Sour recipe is meant to be a cocktail that you can enjoy now, and all the way through the chilliest time of year.

The ingredients for this Rosemary Bourbon Cocktail with Rosemary Simple Syrup are easy to find:

Rosemary
Sugar
Bourbon
Lemon Juice

Do I have to use bourbon?

No! If you don’t like bourbon, you’re still in luck. I’ve tested this recipe using vodka and gin, and it’s delicious with both of those spirits as well. Substitute an equal amount of vodka or gin for the bourbon called for below. I also have a Rosemary Gin Cocktail that you may enjoy.

Yield: 4 servings