One great way to get the flavor of short seasoned fruits into your drinks is the use of preserves. This Rosemary Cherry Crush with Tequila and Cherry Preserves is a great example; no need to wait for Spring or Summer!
I'm so grateful for expanding my tequila horizons beyond margaritas; this Rosemary Cherry Crush with Tequila and Cherry Preserves is SO delicious...I really have come a long way baby! I first published this cocktail several years ago and decided I should share it again after making it this weekend for friends who flipped for it. So grateful for a backyard where we can social distance and socialize together.
One fun and unexpected benefit from crafting a cocktail each week has been the discovery of how versatile tequila is. I can say with some confidence that before I started Friday Cocktails I only thought of tequila cocktails as either a margarita or a shot. Period.
I've mixed tequila with sparkling wine, coffee and hot chocolate and loved all of them but for this cocktail today it's added to a muddled mix of rosemary, lime and cherry preserves which is topped with some spicy ginger beer.
Yes, I did say cherry preserves. Preserves are a wonderful and simple way to add some fruit to your cocktails and there's nothing wrong with keeping it simple, right?
Plus you can make this cocktail without regard to seasonal produce; I did not want to wait until next May. I LOVE seasonal fruits in my adult beverages but I also love serving this drink over the holidays when there is nary a cherry in sight. Tomorrow is September 1st. Join me in making summer cocktails for another month; it's not yet time for pumpkin anything, right? 🙂
Not into making cocktails at home yet? Honestly they are so easy and after you start, you'll hesitate to pay someone $14 for a shot of booze mixed with some fruit juice and herbs! This is all this one takes: ( Full Printable Recipe at Bottom of Post)
- 2 heaping teaspoons cherry preserves
- Rosemary leaves from one 3-4 inch stem
- ½ oz fresh squeezed lime juice
- 1¾ oz Partida Reposado Tequila
- Ginger beer (it's non alcoholic despite the name and with a greater ginger punch than ginger ale)
- Rosemary sprigs for garnish
See, nothing so out of the ordinary. While ginger beer used to be a bit hard to source, now I see it everywhere and it is SO worth having for cocktail making. Whereas I would once use ginger ale, it now seems lame by comparison.
I love nothing more than getting in my jammies, finding a good movie and enjoying it with a favorite cocktail; honestly I'm not missing having to go to a bar or restaurant for a cocktail, not one bit. Having some friends over outside? Even better!
Need more preserve inspiration? Check out another favorite, this Orange Marmalade Margarita and then go to town. Almost any cocktail that calls for fresh fruit can be modified using preserves so seasonal can't stop you from having a favorite...cool right?
I was provided with a bottle of Partida Tequila which is available as an Anejo, Blanco or Reposado Tequila. Not only did I receive a sample box of all three but also a full bottle of the Reposado, my personal favorite.
Smoother than the Anejo and sweeter than the Blanco, it was really easy to drink. Maybe I just have a prejudice for Reposado but this is both a nice sipping tequila and a great mixer. A nice slow heat when sipped, it added the perfect touch to this beautiful cocktail.
Blue agave ( Agave tequiliana Weber) is actually a member of the lily family, even though it looks like it must be related to the cactus. It's grown in certain parts of Mexico and the plants-which can grow up to 15 feet tall-take 8 - 12 years to mature before they're ripe for harvesting for tequila.
To be considered a premium tequila like Partida, it must be made from 100% Blue Agave. Partida is also one of the few tequilas that qualifies as "estate grown" which means that the company owns all the land that their agave is grown on, best to assure both quality and consistency.
Sweet and tart with warmth from the tequila and spice from the ginger beer, this Rosemary Cherry Crush with Tequila and Cherry Preserves is one terrific cocktail. I can't wait to have it again...as much as I love margaritas, I need to never again forget how much I love this drink. Honestly...you need to try it too, with friends or without!
PIN IT! 'Rosemary Cherry Crush with Tequila and Cherry Preserves'
