'Rosemary Bee'

This drink was inspired by two amazing, natural products: honey and rosemary.

For the German Barista Championship in 2020, I managed to get my hands on some natural Ethiopian honey, which was produced in the same area as the coffee I was using for the competition. This honey is unreal! It tastes so floral it absolutely blew me away, so I really wanted to incorporate it into one of my cocktails. On the other hand, there is this gigantic rosemary bush in front of our house and I love the smell of it.

This drink is so multi-layered, there's soooooo many things happening at the same time!

It's fresh and at the same time sweet and coating and has depth from the coffee. The gin lifts the herbal aspect and it's just such a round and delicious cocktail. It's a must try at home or in any bar.

What's the coffee?

I used the 'Cherry Pie' espresso blend by ONA Coffee. This coffee is a combination of natural and Carbonic Maceration (CM) coffees, which gives it a flavour profile of red and purple cherries, with a hint of pastry. If you can't get your hands on this blend, aim for a CM or natural processed coffees with red fruit notes - the more cherry-like, the better.

Ingredients

Honey Rosemary syrup (15mL) 3 sprigs rosemary 1 tbsp honey (I used Ethiopian honey - but any honey will do, as long as its floral)  1 tbsp boiling water

30 mL freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

15 mL freshly squeezed lemon juice

30 mL gin (I used Meridor gin from France)

Coffee (20 mL)

40g Cherry Pie blend, fine grind (or 19 clicks on a Comandante)

100 mL 95 degrees filtered water Espro Press (or a French press/plunger)

Method

To make the honey and rosemary syrup, combine 3 sprigs of rosemary, one tablespoon of the honey and one tablespoon of boiling water. The temperature of the water helps the honey to get softer and at the same time it releases the oils of the Rosemary. Once this is cooled down you have a very intense honey and rosemary syrup.

To make the coffee, add 40g of coffee grounds to your Espro Press. Add the hot, filtered water and stir for 10 seconds. Allow to steep for 4 minutes, then pour 20 mL into a Boston shaker.

Add syrup, fresh juices and gin into the Boston shaker. Add ice and shake vigorously for 30 seconds.

Single strain into your serving vessels. I recommend a wide glass (think a stem-less wine glass). Garnish with a sprig of rosemary - make sure it's not too much, otherwise the aroma might overpower the drink.