Pineapple Rosemary Cocktail

I Time for June's Crazy Ingredient Challenge! 


The theme for this month is pineapples and rosemary. When the ingredients were revealed I immediately thought of a drink. Rosemary is a strong flavor, but I thought pineapple was bold enough to meet it halfway. I decided the best thing for my drink was to make a syrup with the rosemary. I used a standard base for the syrup and let the rosemary sit in the warm syrup to get as much flavor as possible from the herb.  I picked vodka for my poison because it has a very neutral flavor and, I wanted to focus on the flavors of the challenge ingredients.  To my drink, I added a little pineapple juice and served the finished product chilled over the rocks.

The verdict on this odd couple? Sooooooo yummy! The pineapple and rosemary were great together and the syrup mellowed the rosemary just enough to leave a light flavor with the pineapple juice. I would make this again in a second, and can't wait to share it with my herby drink loving friends! 

Today, I am heading to the farmer's market with my mom and Kellen to grab some veggies. This afternoon I need to devote to some laundry (blah), but my friend Amanda and her kids are coming in the evening for a trip to the Wildlife Sanctuary and then out for tacos. Amanda is in the State Assembly and is a busy lady/mom. I have known her for years and adore her, and always get excited when we get to spend time together. Now that we both have kids it is fun to include them in our adventures!  

 If you are interested in joining our challenge, stop over to Dawn of Spatulas on Parade to say hello and to get more information.  I am excited to see what everyone else made, and what next month will bring! 


Ingredients

rosemary syrup:
2 springs of fresh rosemary
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup water

1 cup vodka
3 cups pineapple juice
Ice


Instructions

To make the syrup: combine all ingredients on the stove top and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat cover and allow the syrup to sit 15-20 minutes. Strain and allow it to completely cool. 

Mix together the syrup, vodka and juice. Fill 4 pint glasses with ice and pour the drink over the ice. Garnish with fresh pineapple or rosemary if desired. 

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