The Strawberry Frosé is the “it” drink of summer

By: 
Brian Rung

    About a year ago I noticed an onslaught of bright red frozen strawberry cocktails in my Facebook and Instagram feeds. What I assumed to be merely Strawberry Daiquiris were actually Strawberry Frosés.
    The Strawberry Frosé was the “it” drink of summer 2016 and it looks to repeat in 2017. It is easy to make, easy to enjoy and provides a refreshing alternative to the same old frozen Margaritas and Daiquiris.
    The Strawberry Frosé is a rosé wine-based cocktail combining the terms “frozen” and “rosé” into “Frosé.” Rosé is a light pinkish wine, but not officially a red wine.
    The in-between color of Frosé comes from a centuries old winemaking process in which the skins were left on the grapes. The “skin contact” method was used in early wine production, so early in fact that rosé could be the oldest known type of wine.
    You don't have to use the most expensive rosé to turn out a good pitcher of Strawberry Frosé, but you may not want to use the cheapest either. One thing to consider when selecting a rosé is that the entire bottle will be used in this recipe which serves four to six. If you already have a favorite rosé, use it. If not, reach out to your local wine enthusiast for guidance.
    Unlike the Mimosa, Bellini and the Champagne Cocktail, the Frosé does not rely on wine alone for the alcohol content. Vodka is added to the Frosé to counter the sweetness of three super-sweet ingredients: strawberries, sugar and grenadine.
    This Frosé recipe calls for rosé ice cubes. Frosé ice cubes can be made by pouring the entire bottle into ice cube trays and freezing them. Count on leaving the rosé cubes in the freezer for a good eight hours or overnight.
    In a pinch you could use regular ice cubes and non-frozen rosé, but the overall character of the drink will be watered down. You could add more vodka to this method to combat dilution, but the rosé flavor will be muted.
    It can be done without freezing the rosé, but the stronger rosé flavor from the cubes as opposed to regular ice will turn out a better tasting and more balanced drink.
    I had never purchased a bottle of rosé prior to trying this cocktail. I buy maybe five to 10 bottles of wine throughout the year, most of which are gifts.
    I did a bit of research into rosés and found that just about anything between $15 and $25 will suffice.
    My favorites in this price range are Justin Rose, Summer Water, Saved Magic Maker, Underwood and Stolpman.
    Don't break the bank on vodka for this or any other cocktail. I use Smirnoff Red Label in just about everything that I pour, but Tito's, Deep Eddy, Ketel One, and Skyy are also solid vodkas. Avoid flavored vodka in the Frosé.
    Grenadine is supposed to be pomegranate syrup. I say that it is “supposed to be” pomegranate syrup because most commercially available grenadines are merely red dye and sugar. Your supermarket grenadine is likely of the “food coloring” variety, and that's acceptable in this application because that's what we are going to do with it.  
    Without a dash of bright red Rose's Grenadine, your frozen strawberry cocktails would be a medium-pink color. A few dashes of supermarket grenadine will give a bright red hue to your Strawberry Frosé that will absolutely light up your Instagram or Facebook feed.
    If you want the real deal grenadine (the stuff that is actually made from pomegranate), you can either make your own or pick up the grenadine made by Sonoma Syrup Company, Fee Brothers or Monin. If you use Monin go with their pomegranate syrup, it will not be labeled as grenadine.
    The Strawberry Frosé is built in a blender and served in chilled wine glasses.
    Combine in blender:
    2 cups fresh strawberries
    1 tablespoon granulated sugar
    1/4 cup vodka
    2 tablespoons grenadine
    Rosé ice cubes (from one standard bottle, 750 ml)
    Blend on high until smooth.
    Serve in wine glasses or Champagne flutes, garnish with strawberries.
    The internet is littered with quick cures for brain freeze. You may want to bookmark a few of them before you take your first sips of the Frosé.
    Until next week, enjoy responsibly.

 

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