The holidays are quickly approaching and that means it’s time to get your food and drink menu ready! This Alpine Spritz cocktail is an easy addition that comes together quickly and can be scaled up to serve a crowd. The recipe combines the juniper and citrus elements of gin and the crisp herbaceousness of green chartreuse with lemon juice, tonic water, and simple syrup for a crisp, refreshing cocktail that’ll transport you to a wintery mountain landscape.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Here’s what you’ll need to recreate this recipe at home!
- Gin – Whatever gin you like will work in this cocktail! I’ve tried it with Ford’s Gin and Plymouth Gin and both were great. Both are juniper forward, which is perfect for pairing with the green chartreuse.
- Green chartreuse – If you’ve never tried green chartreuse, you are missing out!! It’s a popular herbal liqueur made by French monks using 130 different herbs and plants. Yep, seriously. It can sometimes be challenging to find because of how it’s produced, but I bought a bottle a couple years ago and still have about half of it left since a little goes a long way. I love the herbaceous flavor it brings to cocktails, with notes of rosemary, citrus, clove, and thyme. There’s also a yellow version of chartreuse that’s equally delicious, but is a little sweeter, less herby, and includes notes of citrus, violet, honey, and saffron. As far as substitutions go, it’s tough to recreate the true flavors of chartreuse since the monks keep the recipe to themselves. I’ve heard good things about Flora Green by Accompani Liqueur as well as Ver by Elixir Craft Spirits but haven’t tried them myself.
- Lemon juice – A good bit of lemon juice helps complement and round out the chartreuse and gin. I don’t recommend substituting or skipping this.
- Simple syrup – A little bit of simple syrup helps balance out all the acidity from the chartreuse and lemon juice. You can definitely play with the ratio of simple syrup to match your tastes, but I don’t recommend skipping it entirely.
- Tonic water – To make this drink a spritz, you’ve got to have something fizzy! I tested this recipe with tonic water and club soda but definitely preferred the tonic water. It had much more flavor and I felt like the club soda made the drink fall a little flat.
learn how to make
Sugared Rosemary Sprigs
Sugared rosemary sprigs and cranberries make gorgeous cocktail garnishes this time of year, and they’re super easy to make! So get ready to elevate your holiday cocktails and baked goods in just a few easy steps:
- Whip up some simple syrup – you’ll need it for this recipe anyway! Just dissolve one part sugar in one part hot water and allow it to cool. Too easy.
- Dip the rosemary sprigs in the cooled simple syrup. Shake off any excess syrup – the more syrup left on the rosemary, the longer it will take to dry and be ready for sugaring. I like to dab excess sugar off on a paper towel, then lay the sprigs on a wire rack or parchment lined baking sheet.
- Wait for the syrup to dry. It doesn’t have to completely dry, but you want it to be sticky, not wet. This usually takes about an hour.
- Roll the sprigs in sugar. Just use regular old granulated sugar for the most gorgeous look!
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Alpine Spritz
Servings: serving
Ingredients
- 3 fl oz Fever Tree Refreshingly Light Tonic Water
- 1 1/2 fl oz gin
- 1 fl oz lemon juice
- 3/4 fl oz simple syrup
- 1/2 fl oz green chartreuse
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except tonic water to a shaker and add ice. Shake for about 5 seconds or until the shaker is cold.
- Pour over ice in a large wine glass or goblet. Top with tonic water and gently stir before serving. Garnish with sugared rosemary sprig, if desired.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 183kcal (9%), Carbohydrates: 7g (2%), Sugar: 5g (6%)
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