Whether you’re cutting back on alcohol, trying to wean yourself off soda, or simply want to offer a non-alcoholic beverage for a dinner party or gathering, consider this sparkling Rosemary Honey Mocktail. 

“Do you even appreciate this weather?!?” is what I want to EXCLAIM to everyone I pass. As much as I love winter, love hibernating, love watching my Julep romp in the fluffy snow, as I stepped into the Northern California sunshine, I realized how much I love sunshine and feeling my toes! 

I’m currently in Northern California, supporting my friend Lindsey, aka The Food Mood Girl on the Eat Your Feelings cookbook tour. We’re basking in the ability to wear light sweaters, sunglasses (by necessity no less!), and eat outside. Meanwhile, the happy Californians walk past us, indifferent to the Vitamin D and warm breezes that abound, often bundled in fleece and parkas. I feel the need to stroll, sip cold drinks and soak up every sunny, warm moment as best I can. 

This sparkling Rosemary Honey Mocktail would be the perfect refreshing sipper for our current location, where there are palm fronds and a general floral fragrance in the air. But even when I’m shivering on the East Coast, I like to sip this drink as a way to make water more exciting. In the colder winter months, hydration can be such a challenge. 

If you’re looking to replace soda for health reasons or even to cut back on expensive organic soda options, this Rosemary Honey Mocktail is a healthy, carbonated, soda alternative (much like this sparkling honey lemonade). Raw, local honey offers a host of health benefits, and once you make the syrup concentrate, it’s easy to add a splash of carbonated water and enjoy this drink throughout the week.  

Of course, you could add your favorite spirit and turn this mocktail into a full on cocktail, but I’ll be bringing you more ideas on that front in a future post. For now, maybe we should just stick to warm thoughts, healthy drinks and refreshing sips?

Cheers,

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Rosemary Honey Mocktail

About this Recipe: Rather than the typical sugar based simple syrup, this Rosemary Honey Mocktail starts with an herbal honey syrup for added nutrients and minerals in a satisfying soda-like beverage. Be sure to use a local, raw honey for the most nutritional benefits.

Ingredients

1/2 cup local raw honey
1/2 cup water
3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary
carbonated water

Garnish

fresh rosemary

Directions

In a small saucepan, combine the honey, water, and rosemary sprigs. Bring to a boil, swirling to dissolve the honey, then remove from the heat and steep for at least 5 minutes (the longer, the better). Strain and chill until needed, up to 1 week.

For the mocktail, pour 1-2 Tablespoons of honey rosemary syrup over ice, in a coupe glass. Top with sparkling water and garnish with a sprig of rosemary. 

Enjoy!