Rosé Cocktails

The go-to choice for easy warm-weather drinking and delicious enjoyed on its own, here rosé wine also makes the perfect ingredient in 40 refreshingly different summer cocktails.

The recent rise of rosé as THE summer drink started with the arrival of "frosé" (a cheeky concoction of fruity frozen rosé blended with strawberry syrup and served slushie-style) but bartenders worldwide are now turning their attention to the pink stuff (in all its styles from dry and crisp to ripe and sweet) and using it as the base for more complex, sophisticated drinks. Some are subtly spiked with vodka, gin, whisky, or tequila, others are sweetened with sticky fruit-based liqueurs such as Cointreau and cassis, some are sharpened up with tangy citrus juices like pink grapefruit and lime, a few are underpinned with the herby note of rosemary- and basil-infused syrups or accented with delicate floral cordials, such as elderflower and lavender. Rosé also works beautifully in a fruit-filled summer punch, served in large bowls or pitchers and packed with juicy orchard and berry fruits. Here you’ll find recipes for all styles of recipe from short to long, flat to sparkling, tart to sweet, and fun to fancy. Choose an elegant sparkling aperitif such as a Pom Pom or a Blackberry Bellini; a sophisticated sipper like the Rosy Glow or Pink Gimlet; a long refresher like a minty Rojito or Spanish Copa de Frutas; or an tooth-tingling icy treat such as a Twisted Frosé or Raspberry and Rosé Caipirinha; or why not share the good news with friends and fill a bowl with Just Peachy Punch or serve up a pitcher of Bourbon and Blue Iced Tea.

Julia Charles is an editor and writer specializing in food and drink. She has sampled many drinks on her travels, from negronis in Naples to pisco sours in Peru. Here she brings her passion for cocktails, knowledge of the global bar scene and instinct for taste to the on-trend subject of rosé. Julia lives and works in London but is a frequent visitor to both Spain (where she has family) and her favorite Greek Island (where she has delicious cocktails...).