As promised, I tried several incarnations of this to see if the idea that had been percolating in my head made sense. I think I have drunk my annual beta-carotene requirement...As mentioned in last week's newsletter, this could have been brilliant or disgusting. It is unusual but it works and I apologize for taking so long to share it with you.
To start, I tried rum, kaffir lime leaf vodka, plain vodka and bourbon. Except for the plain vodka, the flavors overpowered the carrot, and both bourbon and rum muddied the color. I wanted a nice, bright, spring orange color, not something reminiscent to bilge water. I also made versions with various aromatics - lemongrass, fennel seed, dill, ginger all were too strong. I think that my final version with rosemary and lavender simple syrups works, as does the whimsical title in honor of the colors of Lent and the flavors in the glass. Tarragon syrup would work as well.
This is definitely a spring cocktail, bright, light and slightly grassy - in a good way. Strangely enough, though the lavender syrup adds a slight astringent quality to the drink, it also makes the carrot juice taste a bit like apricot nectar. Try it and see.
The following recipe makes 2 cocktails.
2 measures plain vodka (each person's measure being slightly different than another's)
Juice from 1 lemon
2 tsps lavender syrup
2 tsps rosemary syrup
Carrot juice
Place half the juice from the lemon and 1 teaspoon each of the syrups in each glass.
Stir well to combine. This is an important step because, since the syrups are thick, they have a tendency to sink to the bottom of the glass and rise up and surprise you during your last swallow.
Add a measure of vodka to each glass, stir again. Add a generous quantity of ice cubes.
Top off the glass with carrot juice and enjoy or decorate, as I did, with a sprig of rosemary, a stem of lavender and the top end of a baby carrot.
Feel free to tone down or vamp up either the lavender or the rosemary flavor to your own taste.