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Drinks

How To Mix Rosé Cocktails Like a Pro — Recipes from 4 of Canada's Best Bartenders

From Junction Sangria and champagne cocktails to the best frosé you'll find — it's all doable at home
By Christine Sismondo
Many glasses of rose wine at wine tasting. Concept of rose wine and variety. White background. Top view, flat lay design. Direct sunlight. Toned image. Many glasses of rose wine at wine tasting. Concept of rose wine and variety. White background. Top view, flat lay design. Direct sunlight. Toned image.

Rosé, all-day? That’s easy.

But turning that casual glass of pink into a smart evening cocktail? That's the trick.

If you've mastered transforming rosé wine into a effortless mixed drink (we've got you covered with Easiest Pink Drinks) it's time to take rosé next level. We’re cranking it up and going full-cocktail.

To ensure your home bar serves only the most stylish sips in the country, Chatelaine turned to four of Canada’s most talented bartenders for their best recipes, and if that wasn't awesome enough, the Junction Sangria and Atwater Freeze were exclusively created just for us.

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Don't be intimidated if we ask you to take a foray down the spirits aisle to pick up a new bottle or do a bit of quick advance prep in the kitchen — with a little bit of planning, these are actually easier than they look (which is the whole point when you want to show off).

And after the first sip (and general o0000hh-ing and ahhhh-ing) you'll realize they're well-worth the extra TLC.

(For harder-to-find ingredients we have offered substitutions, but we encourage a bit of pre-planning to fully enjoy the character of these unique drinks — most items are easily ordered online.)

bittered sling bitters gift pack Orange and Juniper bitters from Bittered Sling bring notes of fresh orange peels, herbaceous juniper and bright green cardamom to the Howitzer 105mm.

The Howitzer 105mm

by Lauren Mote, Vancouver

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Lauren Mote, currently working with luxury spirit brand Diageo Reserve as the “Global Cocktailian at Diageo Reserve” (seriously), has been raising the bar for years in Vancouver. Here, she turns sparkling rosé into a modern classic champagne cocktail — a classy little number with a serious punch.

Ingredients 1 ½ oz Tanqueray No. 10 Gin ½ oz lemon juice ½ oz lavender syrup 1 dash Bittered Sling Orange & Juniper Bitters (order online at Bittered Sling or in a pinch use any orange bitters) 4 oz Brut Rosé Cava

Instructions Shake ingredients (except the bubbly) quickly  in a shaker with ice. Strain neat into a champagne flute or white wine glass. Top with bubbly and garnish simply with a fancy lemon twist, expressing the oils (twist the peel over the glass and minute droplets will squeeze out) onto the surface of the cocktail, before dropping it into the drink.

sage The almond-shaped leaves and fragrant aroma of sage add a finishing touch to the Junction Sangria.

Junction Sangria

by Megan Jones, Toronto

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Megan Jones, owner of The Gaslight, a sweet little bar in Toronto’s Junction Triangle neighbourhood, is known for her simple, tasty and refreshing cocktails. The Junction Sangria is no exception.

Ingredients 5 oz dry rosé wine 2 oz sparkling grapefruit soda (Jones uses Perrier’s) 1½ oz Aperol (bitter-sweet orange-y Italian aperitivo) 1 oz simple syrup 2 thin cross-section slices of ruby red grapefruit 2 thin cross-section slices of orange 1 sprig fresh sage for garnish

Instructions Add all ingredients (except sage) into a tall, oversized wine glass. Serve over ice and garnish with sage.

fraise+sichuan Sichuan pepper notes provide depth against the sweet strawberry flavour of the Les Charlatans syrup in The Atwater Freeze.

The Atwater Freeze

by Katherine Boushel, Montreal

Montreal’s Atwater Cocktail Club is lucky to have Katherine Boushel, who knows all the tricks for making the best drinks. She shared a tip with us for making the best rosé slushie possible, namely, freeze the wine in an ice cube tray, instead of blending it with ice, so that the drink isn’t watery.

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Ingredients 4 oz frozen rosé cubes (six cubes from a standard tray) ½ oz gin ¼ oz Benedictine (or any herbal liqueur, such as chartreuse) ½ oz Les Charlatans strawberry and sichuan syrup* 2 drops Bittered Sling Moondog bitters (or any bitters you have on hand) Sprig of fresh lavender

Instructions Add all ingredients (except lavender) to a blender and mix on medium for about 30 seconds or, until you achieve a nice frozen margarita texture. Pour into a chilled coupe glass and garnish with a sprig of lavender.

*Montreal’s Les Charlatans makes a wide range of beautiful spicy/sweet syrups, many of which are available across the country. Check their website for a store and/or delivery options. If it’s too late to order, use regular simple syrup and garnish with a few pieces of strawberry.

Screen Shot 2017-07-27 at 9.31.54 PM Add a delicate floral hit to your champagne cocktail with rose water.

by Madeleine MacDonald, Calgary

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Madeleine MacDonald runs the bar program at Calgary’s Model Milk, Pigeonhole and Model Citizen — three of the city’s best — but she tries to make time for the occasional glass of sparkling rosé. This is her modern twist on a classic champagne cocktail.

Disclaimer: Ok, fine, this one requires a wee bit of work but nothing you can't handle with a bit of advance prep (make sure to exaggerate how much you sweated over it to your guests).

Ingredients 3 oz sparkling rosé wine (such as the Cordonìu Brut Rosé Cava) 1 oz vodka ½ oz Cocchi Rosa Aperitivo* (substitute Lillet aperitif wine for Cocchi) ½ oz citric acid solution** ½ oz rhubarb syrup*** Dash of rose water (available at grocery stores, often in Middle Eastern food sections) Dash of Peychaud’s bitters

Instructions Combine all ingredients (except the sparkling rosé) in a mixing glass and stir until chilled. Strain into a flute and top with bubbles. Squeeze grapefruit twist over top to express oils. No garnish.

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*This item is not widely available outside of Alberta.

** Citric acid solution is made by combining 5 oz water and 1 oz citric acid (available in most baking sections of grocery stores). Mix, bottle and refrigerate for up to two weeks.

*** To make rhubarb syrup, combine two chopped rhubarb stalks, two cups of sugar and a cup of water in a pot, then simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Cool, strain, bottle and refrigerate for up to two weeks.

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Food crush: Finally, succulents you can eat (because they’re cake!)

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