phood adventures

Orange Rose Sparkler

Or, as Alexis likes to call it, “Homemade Fanta!”

Last week, she made kataifi, that wonderful Greek dessert made with shredded phyllo, butter, and nuts, and then drenched in simple syrup that is flavored with rosewater. Well, she had leftover syrup that she stored in the fridge.

Prior to that, I had bought a three liter bottle of club soda. Why? Well, for a while now, I’ve been concocting what I like to call “drinky drinks.” Since I don’t imbibe alcoholic beverages anymore but still have the lingering desire to play at tending bar and mixing up new designer drinks, I have taken to satisfying these urges by creating “mocktails.”

Some have been smashing successes. Others have been phenomenal failures.

My Braun hand blender is my best buddy when it comes to blending these drinks, especially the frozen ones.

Well, last night, I was dying for something sweet to drink, but we were out of Sprite, and I didn’t want to make KoolAid (the last refuge of the desperate), nor did I want to make jamaica con limon (though the last time that went over pretty well). It was late, and all that seemed like actual work.

Instead, I broke open the club soda, got out my “freezy mug” from the freezer. You know the glasses…the ones that have liquid in them that freezes and keeps your drink cold. And then I poked my head in the fridge and started to figure out how I would assemble the drink.

My eye settled first on the carton of orange juice. Grabbed it. Then the bottle of RealLemon. I was feeling too lazy to actually juice a lemon. Then I saw the tupperware container with the rosewater syrup. EUREKA! The final ingredient.

I didn’t really measure the proportions. I just poured some syrup in the glass first, then orange juice, then a smidgen of lemon juice. Topped it all off with club soda, and I gave it a good stir to incorporate the ingredients.

Finally I took an experimental slug. Would it work? It was EXCELLENT! I even went in, woke up Lex, and made her take a sip. She pronounced it no different than Fanta (I don’t entirely agree; there is no hint of rose in Fanta) and then promptly went back to sleep.

At any rate, the drink went down extraordinarily well with the tuna salad I had just made. Very light and refreshing. One change I would made next time I mixed the drink: less syrup and more lemon. I think I made it too sweet this time. I would have preferred a bit more tartness. Maybe even the juice of a lime would have helped.