On my birthday last month, my husband and I went to lunch at one of my favorites – Hayden (sadly closed now). Feeling a little splurgy, I ordered the “Hayden Spritz” – a turmeric cocktail (an elevated orange spritzer really) that seemed right up my alley.
I’ve been on a turmeric kick lately, so while I don’t usually have alcohol at lunch, it felt worthwhile and not completely unhealthy. The perfectly bright citrusy drink was delicious and I couldn’t stop thinking about it…
Turmeric Spritzer Cocktail
In essence this turmeric cocktail is a delicious, easy spritzer with the addition of a homemade turmeric syrup. While it seems a fancy and complicated cocktail, it’s actually pretty simple to make (see the recipe below).
In addition to the flavorful addition it adds to this libation, the syrup can be mixed with club soda for an italian soda of sorts and I’m pretty sure it’d be delicious served with some vanilla ice cream or coconut sorbet – just saying!
You could easily double the recipe for the turmeric syrup if you wanted to experiment with other tasty drink recipes.
Make Ahead Cocktail
If you’re looking for a make-ahead cocktail, not only can you make the turmeric syrup ahead of time, you could mix it with the orange juice and zest up to one day beforehand. Then just serve and top with the sparkling wine when the times comes!
My other favorite make ahead cocktail is this picnic punch that citrusy, minty, and oh so good!
How to Make Turmeric Syrup
Along the lines of making homemade simple syrup, turmeric syrup combines water, a sweetener (maple syrup in this case), and the turmeric.
You’ll need to heat the three ingredients in a small saucepan to infuse the flavors and sweetener. Then when it cools, strain it and cool/chill before using.
Fair warning: be careful with the raw turmeric as it can stain your hands and countertops. I usually wear a pair of gloves when dealing with foods that stain (namely beets and turmeric), but don’t let that deter you from adding the tasty root to your happy hour! Cheers!
Looking for more ways to enjoy and serve this turmeric cocktail? Try serving it at Friendsgiving, a late summer dinner party, or you can just serve the turmeric simple syrup in a healthy iced tea!
More Citrus Recipes
While I love oranges, mandarins, and the like on their own, I can’t tell you how delicious so many of these fruits are in other recipes. Citrus is the perfect partner in this orange beet salad and atop these blood orange crostini.
Of course fresh orange juice is heavenly in this brunch sangria (a wine version of mimosas!)and picnic punch!
If you have tangerines, try this tangerine rosemary cocktail! It’s a fun one.
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Turmeric Spritzer Cocktail
Ingredients
Turmeric Syrup
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons grated fresh turmeric about a 3-inch piece
- ¼ teaspoon grated orange zest
Turmeric Orange Spritzer
- ½ cup freshly squeezed navel orange juice about 2 oranges, chilled
- Sparkling white wine chilled
- Curled orange peel for garnish
Instructions
- Stir together the water, maple syrup, and turmeric in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes. Strain into bowl or large glass measuring cup and discard any solids. It should make about a ½ cup of turmeric syrup. Let cool completely.
- Add the orange zest and chilled orange juice to the turmeric syrup and stir well. Strain the liquid and discard the solids.
- Divide the turmeric orange juice between four wine glasses or champagne flutes. Top with 4 ounces of sparkling white wine, or more as desired. Garnish with orange peel before serving.
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