Blood Orange Spritz
A blood orange spritz mixes fresh blood orange juice with a splash of lime and sparkling water over ice, finished with a sprig of rosemary for a bitter, herbal edge that keeps it from tasting like plain juice and soda. The vivid pink-red color comes straight from the fruit, no food coloring needed, which makes this one of the few drinks on this site where the color really is just the ingredient doing its thing. Serve it alongside a slice of our blood orange olive oil cake while both are actually in season.
Quick answer: A blood orange spritz mixes fresh blood orange juice with a splash of lime juice and sparkling water over ice, finished with a sprig of rosemary for a bitter, herbal edge. It's naturally pink-red from the juice itself, no food coloring needed, and comes together in 5 minutes.
Instructions
In a small pitcher, whisk together the blood orange juice, lime juice, and honey until the honey dissolves.
Fill two glasses with ice.
Divide the juice mixture between the glasses, then top each with sparkling water. Stir gently to combine.
Garnish with a rosemary sprig and a blood orange wheel. Serve right away, while it's still fizzy.
Questions people actually ask
That's the blood orange juice itself, no food coloring involved. Blood oranges get their red color from anthocyanins, the same pigment family found in berries, so the juice runs anywhere from deep pink to burgundy depending on the variety and how ripe the fruit is.
Yes, it'll taste good, but you'll lose the natural pink color and the subtle berry-like tartness blood orange brings. If color matters for the occasion, blood orange is worth seeking out specifically while it's in season.
Rosemary's herbal, slightly piney bitterness is a classic pairing with citrus in both cocktails and mocktails, it adds complexity that keeps the drink from tasting like straight juice and soda. Thyme works as a milder substitute if you don't have rosemary.
Mix the blood orange juice, lime juice, and honey ahead of time and refrigerate for up to a day. Add the ice and sparkling water right before serving so the drink stays fizzy instead of going flat.
Roughly December through April in the US. They're worth stocking up on while they're around, since they're hard to find fresh the rest of the year.
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