Sharing a Special Holiday Cocktail Recipe: Cranberry, Rosemary Margarita

Serve This Christmas Cocktail 
through New Years Day, and Everyone Will Be Happy!

We were fortunate to attend one dinner party this Holiday Season, only one but it was a wonderful event, a very small gathering with friends to ring in the Holidays!  We were charged with bringing the cocktails so we searched long and hard for the perfect one, and came up with a combination of a few we had read about.  We loved the idea of a rosemary-infused simple syrup we read in one recipe, then the tartness of using fresh (not frozen) cranberries from another.  So, we came up with our very own - a mixture of fresh crushed (then strained) cranberries, many squeezed limes and a rosemary simple syrup.  Together they created the perfect tonic of sweet and tart and citrus.  Garnished with rosemary sprigs and speared cranberries we rolled in our simple syrup then sugar, this became the "icing on the cake" for a gorgeous drink but a delicious one to boot.  Our friends raved and inquired about the recipe, so here it is.  I admit it, a little alcohol here and there has certainly gotten me through these past several months...Happy Holidays!

Tam and Ran's
Christmas Margarita

We made the simple syrup and the muddled cranberry/tequila mixture ahead of time and kept them in separate jars.  We also squeezed all the limes and kept that in another Bell Jar.  We combined the ingredients in a shaker (see above for the parts) with ice, then shook for 20 seconds and stained them into fresh glasses with ice and rimmed with a little sugar then finished it off with our garnish. This amount is for an entire pitcher of drinks (approximately 12-14 cocktails)

2 parts cranberry infused tequila: we used 1/5 tequila & ½ bag cranberries 
1 part rosemary simple syrup: see below
½ part fresh squeezed limes: we squeezed 10 limes 
Combine with ice in shaker and shake for minimum 20 seconds
Rim the glass with sugar and fill with fresh ice
Pour the drink from the strainer to the glasses rimmed with fresh ice. 
Garnish with sugared rosemary branch and sugared cranberries

To make cranberry infused tequila: (we used Herradura tequila). Muddle approximately 10 cranberries per cup of tequila.  Allow tequila to steep for 1-3 hours; tequila will become pink-rose colored. Strain the muddled cranberry/tequila mixture with a fine mesh sieve (to remove the very small seeds). 

To make rosemary simple sugar: combine 2 cups sugar with 1 and 1/2 cups water in a saucepan; bring to a boil.  Add 6-8 rosemary branches each 3-5 inches long.  Boil for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat, let steep for 30 minutes.  Strain off the rosemary branches.  Let cool at room temperature 

To make sugared rosemary branch and sugared cranberries garnish: Dip rosemary branch in rosemary simple sugar, shake off excess.  Dust with white sugar.  Let dry for 30 minutes on paper toweling (we used a paper plate as we were bringing it to a party and it was easy to cover and bring this way).  Skewer 4 cranberries on a wooden cocktail skewer, also saved on a paper plate. Dip in rosemary simple sugar, shake off excess Dust with white sugar.  Let dry for 30 minutes.

Happy Nesting

XO Tamara