Rose Spritz

On a remarkably nice (warm but not oppressively hot and humid) Washington, DC evening, I met my daughter for dinner at the lovely French Bistro, Chez Billy Sud, in Georgetown. Naturally, we had to start with a cocktail, and we were both intrigued by the “Rosé Window” – a combination of St. Germain, local Capitoline Rosé Vermouth, lemon, and sparkling wine. We enjoyed it so much that we ordered a second round with dinner. It was bright and bubbly, not overly sweet - the perfect summer cocktail. 

We neglected to ask the bartender for the recipe, but it wasn’t too hard to recreate it at home. Shockingly, it didn’t even require a trip to the liquor store since we had all of the ingredients on hand! We used a dry prosecco, since the floral St. Germain adds plenty of sweetness. The Capitoline Rosé Vermouth has a base of California Sangiovese Rosé with notes of orange and clove and just the right amount of herbal bitterness to work with the other ingredients in this cocktail. Dolin Rouge vermouth would probably work in a pinch, but the Capitoline vermouth really shines in this cocktail and gives the drink its beautiful rose color.

Vermouth, St. Germain, and Prosecco are all relatively low ABV (alcohol by volume), so we made a tall cocktail in a double old-fashioned glass complete with a large ice cube and a lemon and thyme garnish. The key here is to give the St. Germain, vermouth, and lemon juice a good shake before adding the prosecco. It doesn’t work well if you try to build this drink in the glass because the citrus requires a good shake to properly combine it with the alcohol.

The Cocktail Artist happened to have a number of “rose” watercolors and we used a close-up of a pink rose bloom to accompany this drink that we’ve renamed the “Rose Spritz”. It’s certainly nice to be able to mix one at home, but if you’re in Georgetown we recommend stopping by Chez Billy Sud for a cocktail.

Cheers!

Rose Spritz

1 ounce St. Germain
1 ounce Capitoline Rosé Vermouth
¾ ounce fresh lemon juice
3 ounces dry Prosecco

Add the St. Germain, vermouth, and lemon juice to a cocktail shaker with ice cubes. Shake well and strain into a double old-fashioned glass with a large ice cube. Add prosecco to the glass and give the cocktail a light stir. Garnish with a lemon twist and a sprig of thyme.

Pink Rose - original watercolor by The Cocktail Artist

Garden Bouquet - original watercolor by The Cocktail Artist

Spring Roses - original watercolor by The Cocktail Artist


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