serves one
I’ve been on a non-alcholic cocktail spree for a week now. I love how a drink can be complex, and filled with layers of flavors but nary a drop of liquor. Go for “top shelf” ingredients here, as you would if making a boozy elixir.
Freshly squeezed juice of 1 blood orange
1/2 teaspoon good quality maple syrup
2 dashes of orange bitters
Seltzer, to top off the glass
Burnt orange peel, for garnish
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add the juice, syrup and bitters. Seal the top and shake vigorously until beads of sweat form on the outside of the shaker. Pour into an old fashioned cocktail or martini glass, garnish with the burnt orange peel to serve.
How to make a burnt orange
Just before serving the cocktail, light a match, or use a lighter, to release the essential oils from the orange peel. Do this by holding the peel with the white, pith side up, and waving the flame underneath over the outer skin of the orange peel.