The Rose Cocktail

Sports fans, get ready: The Summer 2024 Paris Olympics are almost upon us, and we’re gearing up to celebrate with five cocktails inspired by participating countries. This recipe, The Rose, honours Paris, the host of this year’s Games and a trove of cocktail history. Writer James Chatto explains:

“After the First World War, an irresistible tsunami of American cocktails and bar culture swept through Paris, though some citizens still clung to traditional aperitifs, such as the Vermouth Cassis (with or without soda water). Homegrown cocktails that combined the old school with the new also appeared, and chief among them was The Rose. Invented at the Chatham hotel on Rue Daunou, it became the charming star of the era known as ‘Les Années Folles,’ though the recipe never quite settled down. Sometimes gin replaced the kirsch or redcurrant syrup stepped in for cherry brandy, but invariably, the cocktail was pink and almost always had a generous measure of dry white vermouth to give it a complex herbal heart.”

Watch the 2024 Summer Olympics on CBC Gem here.

The Rose Cocktail

A classic French cocktail from the golden age of Parisian drinking culture, The Rose combines dry vermouth, kirsch and cherry brandy into an elegant aperitif with a delicate pink hue.

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Ingredients

• ice
• 1½ oz kirsch
• 1½ oz Noilly Prat Vermouth
• ¾ oz cherry brandy
• 1 sprig red currants or brandied cherry for garnish (optional)

Instructions

 

• Fill mixing glass with ice. Top with kirsch, Noilly Prat Vermouth and brandy. Stir to chill. Strain into coupe glass and garnish with red currants (if desired).

Notes

Ingredient note:

Kirsch is a dry cherry eau-de-vie, while cherry brandy is sweeter and more fruit-forward. The combination creates The Rose's distinctive balance of herbal, fruity and floral flavours.

Keyword classic French cocktail, French aperitif, vermouth, vermouth cocktail

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