Rose water is made from rose petals, and offers a super-potent floral flavor; typically, you’ll only need a drop or two to add a lovely rose flavor and aroma to a drink. The Rose Royale takes the classic Kir Royale recipe and utterly transforms it with just a couple drops of rose water. The Raspberry Rose Fizz uses sparkling water and egg whites to heighten the scent of rose water – it’s like a bouquet in a glass!
Grapefruit and rose is an unexpectedly fresh combination. We love it in the Moonwalk, a 60’s stunner purported to have been served to the Apollo 11 crew upon their return to Earth. It’s also gorgeous in A Rose By Any Other Name, which uses a botanical brandy, honey, and mint along with the grapefruit juice and rose water. The Paloma Rose is a lovely riff on the classic Paloma, featuring rose syrup. Dear Prudence doesn’t have any actual rose in it, but the complex interplay of grapefruit, sparkling rosé, and rosé wine apéritif lends it a fresh, floral flavor and a breathtaking color.
We like using rose syrup in cocktails; with a less-potent flavor, syrup can be easier to work with than rose water. The Rose Quartz is a beautiful sparkling cocktail with rose syrup; topping with sparkling rosé wine instead of the usual white amps up the lovely pink color. The gin-forward Black Thorn Rose uses the syrup as an accent to the deep, rich flavors of sloe gin and Lillet Rouge, a red wine apéritif.
Lychee and rose is another excellent pairing; lychee fruit’s gentle floral flavor is highlighted by the flavors of rose. The Lychee Rose Bellini is a delicate, sweet sparkling cocktail with a soft peach-pink color. The Magnificent Lady is a gin sour with lychee and rose syrup, perfect for your magnificent lady (or dude).
If your sweetie likes it bitter, Campari and Aperol and other bitter citrus apéritif can be cajoled into exhibiting rosy flavors. The Veronica Rose is a visually stunning sparkling cocktail based on Campari and rose syrup. The Rosé Negroni doesn’t actually have any rose ingredients, but its three types of rosé wine (still, sparkling, and apéritif) work with the bitter citrus flavor to produce a flavor that really does remind one of fresh roses.
