Simple Sundays | Lemongrass & Blood Orange Wine Spritzer
You know, mama, rain is good. It makes everything better. Except for picnics. My little guy made me chuckle as he tried to console me as we drove in the heavy rain, our jeans wet on our skin from just a dash across the parking…
You know, mama, rain is good. It makes everything better. Except for picnics.
My little guy made me chuckle as he tried to console me as we drove in the heavy rain, our jeans wet on our skin from just a dash across the parking lot. I know he’s right, we were finally getting the rain we needed. But once the sun emerged, it felt so good to see spring restored.
This time of year is when I want to relish the last of the citrus – the Meyer lemons, the clementines, and the alluring blood oranges. Before we know it, the best of the citrus season will be gone, so I’ve been making curds and cakes this weekend. And with the return of the blue skies, it feels like a great time to enjoy a glass of Lemongrass & Blood Orange Wine Spritzer.
The vibrant blood orange juice pairs beautifully with a sweet lemongrass syrup in this grown up lemonade. It would be perfect for a springtime picnic, don’t you think?
p.s. You know what else a good rain spell is good for? Some spring cleaning, and I’ve been busy cleaning some things up on the blog. I can not wait to reveal Kitchen Confidante’s new look, and hope to launch it this week! Be sure to check back on Wednesday to see, it’s super pretty!
Lemongrass & Blood Orange Wine Spritzer
Lemongrass is a grassy stalk popular in southeast Asian cooking. My mother used to grow lemongrass in her garden and used it to infuse a lemon-y flavor in grilled fish. It makes a wonderful syrup for this beverage.
Ingredients
Lemongrass Syrup
2 stalks lemongrass (plus extra for garnish, if desired)
2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
Spritzer
ice cubes
2 cups Lemongrass Syrup
1/2 cup blood orange juice
white wine (Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio work well)
seltzer water
Instructions
To make the lemongrass syrup: Trim the ends off the lemongrass and chop into 2 inch pieces. Using a morter and pestle or the back of a knife, crush the lemongrass stalks to help release the juice. Combine lemongrass, water and sugar in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Let it cool in the refrigerator. Strain.
Fill glasses with ice cubes. Add 1/2 cup lemongrass syrup and 1/8 cup blood orange juice to each glass. Fill remainder of glass with white wine and a splash of seltzer water. Garnish with a lemongrass stalk and serve.
Adapted from Sparkling Lemongrass Coolers, Food & Wine.
Comments
COOKBOOK
I like the combination and yest I would like a glass right now….
Wow! This sounds (and looks) absolutely refreshing. I love the combination of the lemongrass syrup, blood orange and wine. Definitely have to try this!
What a beautiful wine spritzer. I love that you used seasonal fruit, and that color! Can’t wait to see the new look. Have a great Monday!
I can only imagine how refreshing this is, Liren. This is a perfect springtime drink–love the color, too.
Looking forward to your blog’s new look! :)
Such a pretty color, and it sounds absolutely perfect! Need to get blood oranges, fast!
I love the flavors you combined here….lemongrass & blood orange! So refreshing, yet it hits that high you want! Thanks for sharing this drink, Liren!
Lemongrass makes this more refreshing…and soothing too. I wanna try this soon.
That looks absolutely delicious, Liren :)
Cannot wait for the new site makeover unveiling!!
It was a beautiful weekend after a couple of rainy days, wasn’t it? You write beautiful story. This drink sounds really refreshing and pretty to look at. I love blood oranges and can’t get enough, but I haven’t used lemongrass to cook at home (but love the flavor in savory dishes!). Very beautiful post Liren! I can’t wait – Wednesday is going to be a big day. =)
Even though I had heard there was a shortage of blood oranges this year, I’ve been lucky to find them in several local markets and I have gone a bit nuts. My recent drink of choice was a margarita…oh so amazing. Today I made some blood orange curd for a cake filling and I managed to save a bit of juice for later but I’m sad that this summer they will have disappeared; they are just the prettiest fruit and such a wonderful and unique orange flavor aren’t they Liren?
I’m not sure where I would find lemongrass but this cocktail sounds great; I might have to make a Meyer lemon syrup and try it.
Oh how I wish I had a glass of this right now. I am sad that the blood orange season is ending – I just love them. If you love blood orange juice they sell one at Whole Foods that is supreme. Hope you enjoyed the stunning weather today! :-)
It was only recently that I was introduced to blood oranges. And my were these oranges strangely beautiful and sweet! I like them better than normal orange oranges :)
This looks delightfully refreshing! PS I love that tray.