Cocktail Made w/ Sparkling Rosé

Photo by Arlene Ibarra

Most everyone that is familiar with my approach to cocktails knows that I always look to the classics when I am looking for inspiration to creating new drinks. Pretty much, every single time I try a new ingredients or liqueur, without even thinking my brain automatically begins to shuffle through templates in which I think I could build off of. While I know that sparkling rosé is by no means a new ingredient, when I was working on new drinks for the Polite Provisions menu a couple of years back, I realized that I had never created a drink using it as an ingredient.

When I tasted the sparkling rosé on its own for inspiration, I was immediately taken by the scent of wild berries & vanilla, and just knew that I had to somehow make a variation on my favorite sparkling cocktail, the French 75. Knowing that rum is often rich with deep vanilla, I instinctively reached for a nice white rum and our house raspberry syrup to bring out the fruit in the rosé.

While that first draft of the drink was great, I found that it was missing just a little something. That little something missing ended up being a couple of dashes of bitters, as is often the case. 

ISLA BONITA
1.5oz White Rum
.75oz Lemon Juice
.75oz Simple Syrup
3 Raspberries
2 dashes Peychaud's Bitters

METHOD: Shake & Strain. Top w/ 1.5oz Sparkling Rosé.
GLASSWARE: Coupe
GARNISH: Grapefruit Twist