We traditionally think of cocktails as being drinks mixed with spirits.
Essentially though a cocktail is a mixed drink. Wine based cocktails have a lot going for them. Wine has many useful characters when building a cocktail, with the acidity in the wine giving the resulting cocktail a lovely freshness. There’s a raft of interesting fruit characters, as well as being a lower alcohol base to start building the cocktail from. This then results in a cocktail that is lower in alcohol and super refreshing, perfect spring sipping.
The Mimosa Cocktail was either created in the early 20’s by a bartender at the Ritz in Paris, or by the legendary Alfred Hitchcock later in San Fran. Either way, this delicious cocktail, that is generally composed with sparkling wine and chilled juice, lends itself well to becoming a Rosé Cocktail. Simply replace the juice with rosé. Start with a glass filled with ice. Fill halfway with rosé, then add your favourite sparkling wine. Stir and garnish with summer fruits.
Spritz is a brilliantly versatile drink and our rosé version goes like this. Take 30mls rosé wine and 30mls of gin, then add in 15mls of lemon juice and 10 mls of sugar syrup. Shake and pour into a chilled glass. Top the glass with soda water and garnish with lavender.
Sangria is that wonderful punch made from red wine that is often sold for extortionate prices to unsuspecting tourists. That aside, it’s delicious and great with rosé. Simply mix a bottle of rosé with a splash of brandy and then add fruit.
As for which rosé to use for your cocktail? It’s a little like cooking, the best dishes start with top notch ingredients. We suggest then that you start with good quality rosé.
