Roxymel Mocktail

By David Parmeter    —   See the recipe

A New Year means resolutions for lots of folks and if cutting back or cutting out the booze is your new you, then we've got the perfect mocktail to help you out.  Our Roxymel cocktail is a Rosemary and Apple Vinegar Oxymel. This drink combines the fresh herbiness of rosemary with the sweet and sour tang of apple vinegar oxymel. This drink is so good, you won't miss the alcohol.  Not only is it a tasty alternative to liquor but according to some on the internet you might be giving your digestion, metabolism, and immune system a little boost. That certainly doesn't hurt. Cheers to a New Year that's as bold and flavorful as this mocktail!

For this recipe you will need apple vinegar which you can buy at the store, or if you like, you can make your own. Instructions are included below. This does take some time, but it is fun, frugal and very satisfying.

Ingredients

• 3 oz Apple Vinegar Oxymel (see instructions on making a an oxymel below)
• ¾ oz Lemon Juice
• Orange Peel
• Club soda or soda water

Steps

Add the oxymel and lemon juice into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled. Strain the drink into a glass with ice cubes. Then top it off with club soda or soda water. lightly twist the orange peel over your cocktail so the oils spritz into the drink. Then, drop the peel into the glass. Garnish with a lemon wheel or a fresh sprig of rosemary if you like. Cheers!

Apple Vinegar

Ingredients

• Filtered Water (or other chlorine free water)
• Apple scraps, skins, or chopped apple bits
• Sugar

Sugar to water ratio: 1 tablespoon of sugar per one cup of water, or scaled up to 1 cup of sugar per one gallon of water.

To Make the Apple Vinegar

1. Fill a clean glass jar with the chopped apple bits.
2. Add sugar to water and pour into the jar to cover the apples.
3. Add a few glugs of finished apple cider vinegar (optional, for speeding up the process)
4. Cover your container with a breathable cloth - I use one of our cloth napkins
5. Set the container in a dark location that is around 70 to 75°F, if possible. This is the ideal temperature range for fermentation.
6. Let sit for two weeks, stirring every other day to avoid mold. After two weeks, strain the bits out and let sit for another two to four weeks.

Apple Vinegar Oxymel

Ingredients

• One part apple vinegar
• One part honey
• Fresh rosemary

To Make the Apple Vinegar Oxymel

you might ask, what exactly is an oxymel? Well the name tells most of the story, from greek: acid (oxy) and honey (mel). We can make an elixir using apple vinegar mixed with honey to extract the herbiness of rosemary.

1. Fill a Jar half full to 2/3 full of fresh rosemary. ( I leave the stems in).
2. Mix together equal parts vinegar and honey then pour in the jar, making sure to just cover the rosemary.
3. Close with a plastic lid (the acid of the vinegar may corrode metal lids).
4. Shake vigorously
5. Store the jar in a cool, dark place for two weeks
6. Remove the herbs and strain the oxymel into a glass jar.
7. I store the oxymel in the refrigerator, and it should keep for quite a long time but I don't know for sure because I'm never able to let it linger too long.