Cocktail: A Rye Smile

Grapefruit is good and cheap in the winter, making it an ideal fruit flavor for winter cocktails. Here I've paired rye whiskey with grapefruit, Cynar (a artichoke liqueur) and a homemade rosemary-brown sugar syrup. It's a nicely balanced drink, a bit tart and a bit herbal.

A Rye Smile

1 oz. rye whiskey
1 oz. grapefruit juice
1/2 oz. Cynar
3/4 oz. rosemary-brown sugar syrup (see recipe below)
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Grapefruit twist

Combine whiskey, grapefruit juice, Cynar, rosemary-brown sugar syrup and bitters in a shaker with ice. Shake until cold. Strain into a rocks glass with ice. Garnish with grapefruit twist.

Rosemary-brown sugar syrup

2 tbsp. fresh rosemary, roughly chopped
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup brown sugar

Combine ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and steep for 10 minutes. Strain syrup to remove rosemary. Keep syrup in refrigerator.