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Blood Orange and Rosemary Cocktail Infusion Jar

An easy homemade Blood Orange and Rosemary Cocktail Infusion Jar with bright citrus flavor and a hint of rosemary. Make a jar for your next gathering or package the dried ingredients as a gift.

Blood orange and rosemary look beautiful together in a jar, but the real reason to pair them is the flavor. The orange brings a sweet, slightly tart citrus note, while the rosemary adds an herbal finish. Add your favorite spirit, give it a few days, and you have a simple base for cocktails that feels a little special.

For gifting, I like to assemble the jar with fully dried ingredients and let the recipient add the alcohol at home. It looks lovely on its own, and the directions fit on a small gift tag.

What you’ll need

For one pint-size infusion jar:

3 to 4 fully dried blood orange slices
1 small sprig fully dried culinary rosemary, or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
1 to 2 teaspoons dried cranberries, optional, for color
About 1½ to 2 cups vodka or gin, enough to cover the ingredients

A clean pint-size jar with a tight-fitting lid works well. Vodka lets the blood orange shine; gin brings out more of the rosemary.

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Blood Orange and Rosemary Cocktail Infusion Jar

An easy homemade Blood Orange and Rosemary Cocktail Infusion Jar with bright citrus flavor and a hint of rosemary. Make a jar for your next gathering or package the dried ingredients as a gift.

Equipment

1- 16-ounce jar

Ingredients

3 to 4 fully dried blood orange slices
1 small sprig fully dried culinary rosemary or ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
1 to 2 teaspoons dried cranberries optional, for color

Instructions

Layer all ingredients into the jar and finish with ribbon or twine around the lid of the jar.

Notes

About 1½ to 2 cups vodka or gin, enough to cover the ingredients
A clean pint-size jar with a tight-fitting lid works well. Vodka lets the blood orange shine; gin brings out more of the rosemary.

How to make the infusion

Fill the jar. Add the dried blood orange, rosemary, and dried cranberries, if using.
Add the spirit. Pour in enough vodka or gin to completely cover the ingredients. Seal the jar.
Let it infuse. Keep the jar in a cool, dark place for 2 to 4 days, gently turning it once a day.
Taste and strain. Start tasting after 48 hours. Rosemary can become strong quickly, so remove it as soon as you like the flavor. Strain out the remaining ingredients when the infusion tastes right.

The exact timing depends on your ingredients and how herbal you like your cocktails. There’s no prize for leaving the rosemary in the longest!

An easy cocktail to make with it

Blood Orange Rosemary Spritz

Add 2 ounces of the strained infusion and ½ ounce of fresh blood orange or lemon juice to a glass filled with ice. Top with 3 to 4 ounces of sparkling water and stir gently. Add a little simple syrup or honey syrup if you prefer a sweeter drink. Garnish with a blood orange slice or a small rosemary sprig.

You can also use the infusion in a citrus martini or add a splash to tonic water.

Turn it into a DIY gift

Layer the dried blood orange slices, rosemary, and optional cranberries in a clean pint-size jar. Close it tightly and tie on a tag. Pair it with a bottle of vodka or gin if you’re giving the gift in person.

Gift tag wording:

Blood Orange & Rosemary Cocktail Infusion
Add vodka or gin to cover the ingredients. Seal and infuse in a cool, dark place for 2–4 days. Taste daily, remove the rosemary when the flavor is right, then strain. Mix with sparkling water and a squeeze of citrus. Cheers!

If you’re making jars ahead, make sure the fruit and rosemary are completely dry before sealing them. Moisture can cause dried ingredients to spoil in storage. Keep the dry gift jar in a cool, dry place, and check it before gifting; discard it if you see moisture or mold. extension.psu.edu

A few helpful tips

Use culinary rosemary. A little goes a long way, so start small.
Keep the citrus covered while it infuses, and strain the jar once you like the flavor.
Label the gift clearly so the recipient knows they need to add alcohol. The assembled dry jar is an infusion kit, not a ready-to-drink cocktail.
For a nonalcoholic drink, skip the make-ahead spirit infusion. Instead, muddle a little fresh blood orange with a small rosemary sprig, strain into a glass, and top with sparkling water. Sweeten to taste.

This is one of those gifts that looks like you spent the afternoon fussing over it, even though putting the jar together takes just a few minutes. And if you make one for someone else, you might as well make one for yourself.

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