If I and many of my fellow cocktail writers have not yet convinced you that ice is the most important ingredient in a bar and that it is not just some boring element to disregard because its sole purpose is chilling, I have a spring fling worthy cocktail that may just do the trick. It is Camarena Tequila's Rosemary Lemonade and the ice is absolutely essential to the drink's flavor.
Photo c Camarena Tequila
The rosemary comes into this tequila lemonade through no other element than the? ice and the garnish and this may seem odd, but it is a neat little trick. You may be thinking that the ice simply has the herb frozen inside, but it is actually a rosemary infused cube in which the water that will fill the ice tray is heated and allowed to take on the herbal flavor, much like infusing simple syrup. By doing this the drink captures the rosemary as the ice melts, some of which will happen immediately with more will come as the drink sits. Use this technique as just one more little trick for adding subtle flavor and creating better drinks.
Beyond the fancy ice, the Rosemary Lemonade is a very simple drink which marries 3 flavors into a beautiful and natural union. Camarena's reposado is a good choice for mixing into drinks like this as it is inexpensive enough (around $15-20) to use on a regular basis and is actually a pretty decent reposado. Now, if we add organic, fresh squeezed lemonade the finished drink is a great example of a clean, refreshing spring drink.
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