rosé under fire

When you get a lot of people who are passionate about young adult books together socially, amazing things happen.  My DC Forever Young Adult book club (associated with the ever-hilarious FYA site) usually meets once a month, but this summer we’ve been getting together much more often as part of a YA authors vs. YA readers scavenger hunt.  Last weekend one of our activities was a cocktail mix-off/showdown between the two teams.  My team (the readers. and of the readers, mostly Catie.) came with one YA-related drink recipe in hand, which we called the Rosé Under Fire (after Elizabeth Wein’s Rose Under Fire, obvi).  Friends, it’s pretty AND delicious.  And it won that round!

Rosé Under Fire (adapted slightly from a Creative Culinary recipe)

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 ounces silver tequila

1 ounce lemon juice

1/2 ounce rich simple syrup (two parts sugar, one part water)

2 ounces rosé sparkling wine (we found a sparkling rosé moscato!)

Lemon twist for garnish

Strawberry for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Fill a Collins glass with ice (we used Mason jars, because we’re classy like that). 

Put the tequila, lemon juice and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake vigorously.  Open the shaker, add the sparkling wine (do not shake!) and strain into the ice filled glass.

Flame a twist of lemon (hold peel between two fingers, light a match and bring close to the peel without touching it, let spark and then blow out the match), and then run it around the lip of the glass.  Drop into drink when done!

Note: Flaming the lemon may seem a little crazy, but it smells great and heats up the oils in the peel, so when you then rub it on the lip of the glass you get tiny taste of fiery lemon.

Making the simple syrup a day or two before will simplify this drink to the point of ‘too easy not to make it.’  I recommend going that route.  The end result is a fun little drink that has lovely notes of berry and citrus, and if you can’t imagine the tequila and wine together, don’t worry – it works!  It’s a tiny bit like sangria, but mostly just refreshing and lightly sweet.

Recommended for: a simple, summery cocktail to make for yourself or share with friends on a warm evening.

Interested in other food-related posts?  Check out Beth Fish Reads’ Weekend Cooking.