Summer is coming (thank god) and one of the best parts of summer is the fresh flavours that for some reason we Canadians feel are out of bounds in the winter months. Fresh fruit, local herbs, flowers cut from the garden; they combine to create the perfect combination for dinner parties or boozy brunches.
I love summer.
For those who don’t know, I live in Toronto; specifically, Chinatown. Recently, while poking through the tea aisle at my little grocer, I came across a bag of dried rosebuds. With the hopes of summer and some ideas brewing, I tossed them in my basket and continued on shopping.
Simple syrup is exactly what it sounds like; a very basic syrup created by boiling equal parts sugar and water, It’s commonly used to keep cakes moist and in cocktails, and as a result, I almost always have a jar hanging around. I love to flavour my simple syrup for the project I’m working on (lemon cakes will have lemon syrup, chocolate cake combines beautifully with espresso flavours, and ginger/black pepper is fantastic both as a cocktail and an inexpensive way to make your own soda). Long story short, they’re easy, store forever, and add a great boost of flavour.
When I saw the rose tea, I immediately knew I had to make rose syrup. The delicate, floral flavour would be wonderful in a myriad of cocktails.
After first making it, I actually tried it out as a soda, and it was wonderful; about half an ounce of syrup to a litre of club soda was the perfect ratio for me, but if you prefer your soda sweeter, feel free to add more.
I also made a rose fizz: I think this was my favourite. In a cocktail shaker, combine ice, and egg white, a half ounce of the syrup, and an ounce of gin. Shake the hell out of it, empty it into a glass, and top with club soda. garnish with some more rosebuds for a picture perfect drink! This was really nicely balanced; the gin cut the sweetness of the rose syrup, and the botanicals of the two were delicious. The egg white added a gorgeous foam, and the whole thing was shades of pink.
the final drink I tested this syrup with was a prosecco and rose cocktail. I combined a quarter ounce of both rose syrup and elderflower liqueur in the glass and topped it with a couple extra dried rose buds.
Top with the sparkling wine and you’re ready to serve! I chose the driest bottle I could get my hands on because the syrup and liqueur are both very sweet, and once again the drink was a beautiful pink without being cloyingly sweet: a win in my books.
Let me know if you try any of these, and what you think!
Rose Cocktail Syrup
- 1 cup of sugar
- 1/4 cup dried food-grade rosebuds(typically found with tea)
- 1/2 cup rose water
- 1/2 cup tap water
- 1-2 drops of pink food colouring(if desired)
- N.B. if you do not have rose water on hand, simply use a full cup of water; the rose flavour will still be present, but slightly less pronounced. I’d recommend, if this substitution in made, to garnish with fresh rose, as the scent will make up for the less pronounced rose flavour in the syrup
Combine all the ingredients in a small pot on the stovetop. Boil on high until the syrup has reduced and can coat the back of a spoon. Strain, let cool, and store in an airtight container in a cool, dry space.
For the soda:
Combine one ounce of strained syrup with one litre of sparkling water. Mix to combine, and serve.
For the Rose Fizz:
- 1/2 oz of rose syrup
- 1 oz Gin
- 1 egg white
- ice(for shaker and glass)
- soda water
Combine all but the soda water in a cocktail shaker. Shake it until you can’t feel your arm anymore. Strain the cocktail into a glass filled with ice. Top with soda water and serve immediately.
To garnish: top wooden skewers with dried rosebuds, or float a fresh rose petal on top
For the Botanical Bubbles:
- rose syrup (1/4 oz per serving)
- elderflower liqueur (1/4 oz per serving)
- dry sparkling wine (I used a prosecco, but a cava or other variety would work perfectly well)
In each glass, combine the liqueur and syrup. top with the sparkling wine, and float a couple dried rose buds on top. Serve and enjoy.
N.B. These paired really nicely with the dark chocolate and rose cake truffles seen on my instagram, and would be very nice at brunch with my no-stress cinnamon buns or for dessert with a pavlova made with my Bourbon Vanilla Peaches
Inspiring, as always!