Frozen Rosemary Can Turn Your Cocktail Into A Boozy Snow Globe

When you want a boozy drink around the holidays, you might choose to make mulled wine or an old-fashioned eggnog. These two cocktails are certainly both traditional and tasty, but there are other ways to infuse your holiday drinks with the Christmas spirit. One popular trick for giving your drinks an eye-catching holiday flair is to turn them into a snow globe. 

It's easy to create the illusion of a Christmas tree snow globe inside of a cocktail glass: Simply freeze a sprig of rosemary in the bottom of the glass and pour your favorite clear drink over the top of it. Although executing this trick is pretty simple, there is a methodology to turning a drink glass into a mini winter wonderland, as well as things to keep in mind when choosing the best drinks to use, whether you opt for a classic cocktail or a fun, friendly mocktail.

To start this trick, you'll first need full sprigs of fresh rosemary. Dried rosemary isn't going to work because you'll need a full sprig, and dried rosemary is usually just the leaves. Plus, fresh rosemary is going to have that bright green color of a real Christmas tree, which is going to make the snow-globe effect look more appealing.

Once you've got your rosemary, choose your drink glasses. Make sure they are tall enough to accommodate the height of the rosemary and are freezer-safe. Place the sprigs upside-down into your glasses and add roughly 1 inch of water, or just enough to cover the bottom of the rosemary. If you're having trouble keeping your rosemary upright, you can tie some string to the stem of the sprig and secure it across the top of the glass with tape to keep the rosemary upright.

With your rosemary sprig standing securely upright, pop the glasses into your freezer. Freeze until the water in the bottom of the glasses is frozen solid. Before you pour in the drink, give the glasses a rim of sugar to give the effect of snow, and you've now got cute little Christmas trees in your cocktail glasses.

After you've frozen the rosemary Christmas trees into your glasses, it's time to decide on the drinks you'll serve in the snow globes. Rosemary elevates even plain water, but you will probably want to be more creative than that. You'll likely want to select drinks made with a clear alcohol and mixers so that it's easy to see the Christmas tree inside the glass. If you go for an opaque drink, the rosemary spring Christmas tree will only be visible as you drink down the beverage.

The next thing to think about when choosing cocktails for your snow globes is what pairs well with rosemary. Remember, the entire sprig isn't frozen, which means that when you pour a beverage into the glasses, the drink will become infused with the flavors of the herb. Rosemary is a strong, fragrant herb with sweet and savory flavors often described as peppery, woody, and minty that pairs well with citrus, fruit, and sweet flavors. 

Finally, think about any add-ins that could bring your drink-in-a-snow-globe to delightful life. For instance, adding a few cranberries would add a pop of color and work well in vodka-based drinks like a vodka tonic. The bubbles in a sparkling cocktail or a hard seltzer can look like snow falling in your cocktail snow globes. Choose a drink you love that shows off the scene, and celebrate the season with a fun, festive, boozy snow globe.