About This Cocktail
This one leans fully into the herbal-citrus lane — a bourbon sour with real personality. Blood orange brings a vivid, tangy sweetness, while the rosemary adds a gentle woodland aroma that makes the bourbon taste deeper and more structured. It’s refreshing, bright, and unexpectedly elegant.
If you’re into cocktails that feel seasonal but not tied to a single season, this is your match. Blood orange is bright enough for summer, but its berry-like edges work beautifully in fall and winter too. The rosemary ties everything together, giving the cocktail a savory lift that never overpowers.
Shake it hard, strain into a coupe, and garnish with a tiny rosemary sprig or a torched one if you’re feeling dramatic. The result is a bourbon sour that’s fresh, aromatic, and dangerously easy to drink.
Overall Balance
This one blends citrus vibrance with herbal depth, giving you a sour that’s refreshing but also layered. The blood orange offers a tangy, lightly sweet brightness, while the rosemary adds structure and aroma. Bourbon sits comfortably underneath it all, grounding the cocktail with warmth.
Notes & Fine Tuning Options
If you want more herbal aroma: lightly torch a rosemary garnish or give it a quick clap before adding.
If you prefer a deeper citrus profile: add an extra quarter ounce of blood orange or a small slice of the fruit to the shaker.
If you want more acidity: boost the lemon slightly.
If you want it sweeter and rounder: a quarter ounce of simple syrup won’t hurt a thing.
Flavor Expectation
You’ll get a hit of aromatic rosemary first, followed by the juicy brightness of blood orange and the warming bourbon underneath. It finishes crisp, herbal, and beautifully balanced.
Blood Orange & Rosemary Bourbon Sour
1
servings5
minutesKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
2 oz 2 bourbon
3/4 oz 3/4 fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz 1/2 blood orange–rosemary liqueur
1/4 oz 1/4 simple syrup (to rebalance depending on your liqueur’s sugar level)
1/2 oz 1/2 egg white (optional, for foam – or use a non-egg foamer)
Directions
- Add everything to a shaker – if including an egg white or foamer, hold the ice
- Dry-shake for 15-20 seconds
- Add ice, shake until shaker is frosty
- Double strain into a rocks glass over a large cube
- Garnish with an orange wheel or, for extra herbal aroma, a rosemary sprig
Equipment
Stainless Bell JiggerBuy From A Bar Above
Stainless Boston ShakerBuy From A Bar Above
Stainless Hawthorne StrainerBuy From A Bar Above
Stainless Fine Mesh StrainerBuy From A Bar Above
Silicone Bar MatBuy From A Bar Above
Notes
- Seasonal, slightly savory, extremely “Bourbony.” A deeper, more perfumed sour with rosemary peeking through.
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