The Rose Cocktail

May 10, 2019 by Jennifer

Earlier this week I talked about how breakfast, whether it be in bed or at a restaurant, is almost always part of the Mother’s Day festivities. The other thing that almost always goes with Mother’s Day are flowers.

I love getting a fresh bouquet of flowers from my men. Sometimes they’re sunflowers, sometimes they’re tulips, I even get the occasional Gerber Daisy. But my favorite flower is the rose. I love roses. While I prefer white, I’ll take any color the boys choose. They could be red, pink, or even multicolored. I honestly don’t care. They’re just so beautiful and smell so luscious, I always crack a smile when they’re delivered. I know roses are often saved for Valentine’s Day and anniversaries, but they can just as easily be given to Mom. Trust me, odds are she won’t give them back.

But why just look at roses when you can drink them? That’s right, I said drink. This is after all a food and cocktail blog, and I wouldn’t dare bother you if there weren’t something edible, or in this case drinkable, involved. So, in honor of that woman who helped mold you into the person you are today, I thought I’d bring you the Rose Cocktail from Paris.

Created in the City of Lights by Giovanni “Johnny” Mitta, the recipe for the Rose was first printed in Le Figaro, a Parisian newspaper, in April of 1910. But even though the recipe was finally brought to light, the drink, considered to be Paris’s signature cocktail, had already been around for quite some time. See, Mitta was the head barman at the Chatham Hotel starting in the 1890’s, and was known all over the city to be a man who knew how to mix a cocktail, whether it be the straight forward Martini or the more unusual Rose.

Not to be confused with the Jack Rose, this cocktail doesn’t have one drop of Applejack in it. Instead its main liquor is dry vermouth. I know, vermouth as the main ingredient! Who would’ve thought? I’m used to it being in the background rather than the lead. Because the Applejack has been replaced with vermouth, this drink isn’t nearly as bracing. But that doesn’t mean it’s not palatable. Mixing the vermouth with the Kirsh and raspberry syrup creates a cocktail that’s sweet but not too sweet. It’s refreshing and a beautiful shade of pink thanks to the raspberry syrup. In other words, the perfect color and cocktail to serve Mom.

I know the Mimosa is the more traditional choice for this holiday, but how often do you get to serve your mother 2 different kinds of roses? Never. So, when you deliver that beautiful vase of roses on Sunday, include this drinkable version on the side.