What’d You Do Last Weekend?
Enjoy summer throughout the year by preserving a pinch of it in your salt.
Rose Ginger Lemon Syrup
Still smelling of the Jameson Distillery tour, we ambled to the park just outside the factory gates in Midleton and unwrapped our lunches. We'd run to the English Market in Cork that morning and loaded up at the Salad + Sandwich Bar (I swear, some of the best sandwiches I've ever eaten) and then grabbed drinks at a little organic stall further down the alley. By the time we got to the park, my fresh goat cheese sandwich was oozing, punctuated with spicy arugula and dressing. It was messy and fantastic, exactly the kind of park bench picnic every good vacation requires.
Between the two of us, we washed down our grub with a jug of Fentimans Rose Lemonade. Imagine spicy ginger beer, tart with lemon, but then the bubbles go pop a rosy whisper. That's Fentimans Rose Lemonade. As far as a picnic goes, I'd sub it for champagne anytime.
When we got home, we checked out the Fentimans site and our local grocs, but none carried that particular flavor. Tonight, I gave it a try myself and I wasn't disappointed with the results. On its own, the syrup is a soft baby pink, but disappears in sparkling water. It's a little soft for the Pellegrino - could probably use more lemon and ginger - but I'm sure I'll drain off the rest of the syrup tonight anyway and then try again.
That said, the buyer at our nearby MetMarket must have felt bad for our no-Fentimans-predicament because I got a call this morning informing me there was product waiting for me at the store. When I arrived, they uncovered a whole case of Rose Lemonade (and one of Shandy, a lemonade + beer drink, yum!) and said they'd called the Fentimans distributor who brought it over this morning. Who knew? I'm good for rose lemonade for a while, but thought I'd share my good syrup karma in case you don't feel like ordering a case of your own!
Rose Ginger Lemon Syrup
(makes about 3/4c of syrup)
20 organic food-quality dried rosebuds, stems removed
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lemon
3 slices of fresh ginger, about 1" across and 1/4" thick
1 c water
4 T sugar
- Place all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
- Remove from the heat and steep until the mixture is completely cooled.
- Strain through a coffee filter or cheesecloth.
Use within a few days, and store in the refrigerator. Mix with sparkling water for a refreshing soda.
Comments
Mmm!
I can almost taste the rose lemonade. And of course, the story that goes with it makes it even better!