Spiced Orange Refresher

Fall calls for libations with more spice, more body to them. This is a very unique drink, which was featured in the award winning Imbibe Magazine a while ago—it incorporates an ingredient that I think is better used in a drink than for eating-the blood orange.

Ingredients
1.5oz gin, 1oz. spice syrup, 1oz. blood orange juice-fresh squeezed,(Spiced syrup ingredients) peel of 1/2 orange, peel of 1/2 lemon, 1 tablespoon fresh ginger-minces, 1/2 cinnamon stick, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 clove, 6 black peppercorns-cracked.

Preparation:
In a sauce pan, add the spiced syrup ingredients-and bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer for 5 minutes-uncovered, allow to cool and refrigerate.

In a highball glass filled with ice, add 1 oz. of spiced syrup, 1 oz. of gin and 1 oz of freshly squeezed blood orange juice,