Non-Alcoholic Meyer Lemon Fizz
Celebrate citrus season.
By Erin Henderson
It’s counter intuitive to think that citrus is in season now, but it is.
Perhaps it’s Mother Nature’s way of nurturing us through the grey, heavy, slushy days of winter. Like a human mother trying to sooth her toddler with a box of raisins (who wants raisins!) (although, seriously, does anyone want raisins?) the sunny offering of juicy orbs in various tones of yellow, green, pink, and orange are irresistible to all but the most mundane of palates.
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Sure enough, here in Ontario we can get lemons trucked in any time of year, but Meyer lemons are fleeting. A native plant of China, it’s actually a cross between a citron and a pomelo, and grown mostly in California, Florida and Texas. With thinner skin that’s nearly sweet, Meyer lemon’s orange lineage is easy to detect when eating one.
Like most lemons, Meyer lemons, while boldly robust in unmistakable flavour, almost work like a neutral as they go with so many other elements: green herbs such as basil, thyme, and rosemary; most meats like chicken, fish, and pork; nuts, especially almonds, pistachios, and pinenuts, as well as citrus and berries.
Today, I’m offering a non-alcoholic recipe to usher in January that also uses up any remaining rosemary simple syrup you might have kicking around from the holidays.
Meyer Lemon Fizz
Should you feel like fortifying this temperance cocktail, I can’t blame you. You could double down on the lemon with a citrus vodka, but I’m inclined, perhaps not surprisingly, to match the rosemary with a shot of gin.
Makes: 1 drink
Bartender level: easy
Ingredients:
- ½ oz rosemary simple syrup
- 1 oz freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice
- 4 oz lemon flavoured sparkling water (or lemon soda if you like things a bit sweeter)
How to Make It:
- Into a tall glass filled with ice, pour in the simple syrup and lemon juice. Stir to combine a chill.
- Top with chilled lemon sparkling water/soda.
- Garnish with a rosemary sprig and Meyer lemon wheel and serve.
Bar notes:
- To make this for a crowd, multiply the number of servings you need with the portions above (eg: for 8 servings, you will need 4 oz of syrup, 8 oz of lemon juice and 32 oz of sparkling water/soda).
- To make ahead, combine the syrup and lemon juice in a pitcher and chill until needed. Add the garnish to the glasses. When ready, pour the mixture into glasses, and right before serving add ice and top with sparkling water.
- This can also be made with pink grapefruit juice or blood orange juice for a flavour twist.
- You can also play around with the flavours of the simple syrup: swap thyme or basil for the rosemary, or double down on the Mayer lemon, and add a few thick peels to the syrup to infuse it with lemony flavour, as well.
