Guys I said it on Instagram already but the aerial shot didn't look gorgeous so I'm going to reshoot. Here's a side view in the meantime.
This is super delicious and would be perfect for a summer brunch, picnic, or party. I love dried apricots, so I stewed some in water, and added a tiny bit of fresh squeezed oj for sweetness. I strained it then carbonated it for sparkle, (this is optional, it's awesome either way) and added an orange twist for aroma. Delicious, for realz!
I generally am against derivative mocktails 'let's make a Margarita with no tequila or cointreau!' because I think they are just not that original, and why stay inside the constraints....? BUT, you may notice the more than passing resemblance here to a mimosa or bellini... now that I've made a mocktail with scented water, I'm totally on board to develop many more. This just captured the dried apricot so well, I'm in love!
'Damascus Dame'
Apricot Water 5.5 parts (or whatever fills your champagne flute)
Fresh Squeezed OJ .25 parts
Orange Twist for garnish
To make apricot water:
Simmer
Place 4-6 dried california apricots in a pot on the stove with 1 cup of water (more will make a more intensely flavored water, fewer will make it more lightly flavored.) Bring to a simmer, simmer for 20-30 min. Taste. If more flavor is desired, either simmer for longer, or cover and let sit. (I left mine accidentally overnight and it developed a bit more flavor.)
Strain
Remove apricots (you can mix with sugar and make into a jam if you'd like.) Strain water and oj through a chinois and preferable a coffee filter for perfect clarity.
Carbonate
This is optional- it's still delicious if you don't have a way to carbonate. I placed my strained water/juice into a Perlini Shaker, added ice and CO2, and shook and strained into a champagne flute. You can also use a soda stream, or try out other methods of carbonation.
Twist
Orange and apricot are an awesome combo, but too much orange will obscure the delicate apricot flavor. Express a small amount of orange oil by twisting the orange peel over the surface of the cocktail. Enjoy!!