This week’s Sip of the Week was created in honor of the finale of The Bachelor, which aired both Monday AND Tuesday night this week! Such a momentous occasion couldn’t do with just a regular old beer or glass of wine, don’t you agree? I decided to instead throw together a simple Rosé Cocktail for the occasion involving my secret weapon: homemade rosé simple syrup!
You may remember that I created the rosé simple syrup last spring when I collaborated with The Glorious Grape for her “May Rosé” cocktail series. My contribution was my Rosé Mojito, which is a perfect way to celebrate the beauty of cocktails and wine. You can read The Glorious Grape’s full post here, or find my Rosé Mojito recipe here!
I’ve kept some of my rosé simple syrup on hand since creating it last May, and thought that I’d reintroduce it to the blog while we all watch The Bachelor ask the woman of his dreams, “Will you accept this rose?”. As far as I’m concerned, I’ll always say yes to that question if you replace the “rose” with rosé.
You’ll need some rosé simple syrup to make this Rosé Cocktail, so here’s the recipe for how to do it:
In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of your favorite sparkling Rosé with ½ cup granulated sugar. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar fully dissolves and the mixture comes to a rolling boil. Once it reaches a boil, reduce the heat and allow the syrup to simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until it has reduced by about half. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the syrup to cool fully before mixing your mojito. You’ll be left with a rich, citrusy simple syrup to spruce up a cocktail of your choosing!
Here are the rest of your ingredients for your Rosé Cocktail:
(makes 2 servings)
3 oz. vodka
12 oz. sparkling water of choice (either plain, or you could add in a flavored La Croix if you want a bit more flavor)
A splash of Rose’s Sweetened Lime Juice
Rosé simple syrup to taste, but approximately 1 teaspoon per drink
Citrus zest for garnish
Directions:
Combine chilled vodka and sparkling water in a glass. Add in the lime juice and rosé simple syrup. Gently mix (the syrups will naturally sink to the bottom). Garnish with some citrus zest and enjoy!
What stands out in this cocktail is the subtle flavors of the rosé simple syrup, which comes directly from the bottle of rosé you use for the simple syrup recipe. Choose wisely! I’m sure you’ve heard that you should never use cheap, bad wine for cooking. This is a perfect example of why!
I liked this $10.00 bottle (La Burgondie Rosé Brut from France) that I picked up from the store—it had a really nice fruity aroma, but was buttery and smooth to drink. I had a little leftover after making my mojitos, and I really enjoyed just drinking it by the glass! The simple syrup was vibrant and bright in flavor with a hint of citrus after this Rosé reduced down.
This Rosé Cocktail a super simple way to spruce up your go-to vodka soda cocktail. I typically prefer cocktails that aren’t too sweet, so this is right up my alley. If you wanted something a little sweeter, try adding more simple syrup or replacing some (or all) of the sparkling water with 7-Up. Or, you could even add a splash of sparkling rosé!
So even though The Bachelor is over for now, you can still sip on this Rosé Cocktail as Spring blooms, and, better yet, as The Bachelorette premiers in May! I’m sure it will be the most dramatic season in Bachelor and Bachelorette history…looking at you, Chris Harrison.
