We have a few rosemary bushes on the side yard, they are fragrant, overgrown and in need of attention. As I stood next to the unseemly bushes, clippers in hand, I remembered I needed to create a drink to mark my upcoming birthday – I decided to use rosemary!

Unfortunately, my need of rosemary in cooking didn’t make a visible difference in the tidying of my yard, and the creation of The Fifty-Nine became my new distraction.

Simple Syrup. 2 to 1. Two parts sugar, 1 part water. Bring it to a boil stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves, is a traditional recipe for simple syrup.

Instead of plain water, I made a “tea” with the rosemary. After cleaning, remove the leaves from 10 or 15 stems, drop them into a pot of water to boil. Once boiled, let it steep for about 10 minutes. Using a strainer to remove the leaves, measure out a cup of this “tea”. Add one cup of white sugar and one cup of  brown sugar to the cup of Rosemary Tea to a pot over medium heat. Once the liquid boils and the sugar dissolves, you have Rosemary Simple Syrup. I also dropped in a few more fresh stems of rosemary to the pot for added flavor.

The 59.

1/2 oz. Rosemary Simple Syrup

1 1/2 oz vodka

1/2 oz. lemon-lime juice

Over ice cubes in shaker, shake well. Strain into cocktail glass. Top with 1-2 ounces of Prosecco. Garnish with lemon or lime peel and a sprig of rosemary.

Variations:  a) Substitute vodka with gin.  b) Substitute Prosecco with sparkling water.

Serve in a chilled glass or on the rocks.

Happy Birthday!