Stanbury’s “Rosemaria”

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photograph by Chris Fowler

“I needed a fall/winter cocktail, and didn’t want to go the obvious whiskey route,” says Stanbury’s Andrew Shepherd.  “Apples, ginger, and rosemary go so well with one another, so why not some aged tequila, too?”  The unexpected garnish of a sprig of rosemary, like an orange peel, “isn’t meant to be eaten,” he says. It’s “just for smelling while drinking.”

Rosemaria

1 1/2 ounce reposado (aged) tequila

3/4 ounce lime juice

1/2 ounce apple-cinnamon syrup (recipe follows)

Splash spicy ginger ale/ginger beer

Sprig of rosemary

Shake everything except for the ginger ale/beer in a cocktail shaker for about five seconds.

Strain into a 10- to 12-ounce collins glass or tumbler full of ice.

Top with ginger ale/beer.

Garnish with rosemary.

Apple-Cinnamon Syrup

1 cup unfiltered apple juice

1/2 cup sugar

2 cinnamon sticks

Bring all ingredients to a boil, let simmer for one minute, allow to come to room temperature, then strain.