Photo: Courtesy Drizly.com
Warm summer days call for a cool drink, and there’s nothing more thirst-quenching than a chilled glass of rosé — or is there? Rosé on its own is fantastic, but when put in the hands of expert mixologists, it is transformed into a signature cocktail that’s sure to make your wedding a celebration to remember. We asked four cocktail experts to elevate this warm-weather libation to the next level. Could your new signature drink be on the list? Take a peek and find out!
Rosa Rosé
Adam Douglas of Peak Beverage put together a drink that’s light and totally refreshing. “Hendrick’s Gin has notes of cucumber, coriander, and citrus, which play well with the elderflower notes of St. Germain and the spicy fruit flavors of Garnacha,” he explains. “This is a great drink that’s somewhat acidic, a little vegetal, and has a beautiful pink color.”
Ingredients:
2 oz Garnacha (Spanish rosé)
1 oz Hendrick’s Gin
1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz St. Germain
2 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
2 slices of cucumber
Muddle the cucumber slices in a shaker. Add the remaining ingredients and some ice, and shake to combine. Pour through a fine strainer into a large coupe glass, and garnish with a pick skewered through a cucumber slice and a rose petal.
Rosé Limonade
“Weddings are the perfect time to pop the cork on some bubbly,” says Trisha Antonsen, chief cocktail officer for alcohol delivery service Drizly.com. “Why not serve it to your guests in a new way?” Her rosé limonade recipe is light in alcohol but big on flavor, making it a delicious option for a hot summer day. “The blend of sparkling rosé and fresh lemonade, with a hint of floral lavender, makes this the perfect cocktail for sipping in the sun,” she says.
Ingredients:
4 oz brut rosé sparkling wine
4 oz fresh lemonade (see recipe below)
1/4 oz lavender simple syrup (see recipe below)
Fresh lemon slice
Fill a large Collins glass with small ice cubes. Pour in fresh lemonade, followed by the lavender simple syrup. Once settled, top with the rosé and garnish with a lemon slice. For a festive twist, freeze flower petals into the ice cubes.
Fresh Lemonade:
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (approx. 5-6 regular sized lemons)
1 cup fine sugar
1/2 cup hot water
8 cups cold water
Combine hot water and sugar in a large container and stir to dissolve. Once completely dissolved, add lemon juice and 8 cups of cold water and stir until fully combined.
Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
Fresh Lavender Simple Syrup:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lavender
Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally until sugar is completely dissolved. Once at a boil, remove from heat, add lavender, and steep for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and let cool.
See more: A Quick Guide to Serving Rosé at Your Summer Wedding
Rosé Bouquet
One of the best things about rosé is that it’s such a crowd pleaser: Light enough for white wine lovers, but with a little complexity to tempt those who prefer red. “It’s also a great base for cocktails,” says Valentina Pulido of Bill Hansen Catering. “When choosing a rosé to use in cocktails, look for a bottle in a slightly lower price range that you would still enjoy drinking on its own.” For the Rosé Bouquet, she recommends a light and mineraly wine, such as a Grenache. “Notes of grapefruit and herbs make these wines perfect for this drink!” she explains.
Ingredients:
3 oz Rosé wine
2 oz ruby red grapefruit juice
1 oz gin
1/2 oz Lillet Blanc
1 sprig rosemary
Fill a highball glass with ice. Pour the ingredients over the ice, and stir to combine. Garnish with a grapefruit wedge and a sprig of rosemary.
Watermelon Rosé Mojito
For something extra light and refreshing, Luke Barr of The Barr Co. adds watermelon and mint to sparkling rosé for a twist on the classic mojito. “Even the light pink and green color scream ‘summer wedding cocktail,'” he says.
Ingredients:
1.5 oz white rum or vodka
1.5 oz Watermelon syrup (see recipe below)
1/2 lime, squeezed
Fresh mint leaves
Sparkling rosé
Add the liquor, watermelon syrup, lime juice, and mint to a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously to open up the mint and watermelon flavors. Strain into a wine glass with ice, then top with sparkling rosé. Garnish with a sprig of mint and a cucumber spear to stir.
Fresh Pressed Watermelon Syrup
1 cup fresh pressed watermelon juice
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
Combine in a saucepan and heat to dissolve the sugar. Let cool thoroughly.