It’s hard to beat a refreshing, ice-cold glass of lemonade on a hot day…. until now. It might just be my gintuition talking but I have a feeling some of you might be mixing up a cocktail this weekend and I have one that fits the bill. Introducing my Gin and Rose Lemonade cocktail.

Yes, it tastes as good as it looks.

Earlier this month my friends at Eau Claire Distillery sent along their latest offering: Saskatoon Honey Gin. Similar in style to a British sloe gin, it’s infused with locally sourced honey and Saskatoon berries, resulting in a soft pink hue and a flavour that’s smooth, floral and mildly tart.

After using the pretty bottle as bar cart decor for a few weeks, I decided to mix it into a drink that was worthy of cracking the bottle: my Gin and Rose Lemonade cocktail.

The gin pairs beautifully with fresh-squeezed lemonade infused with rose water, which is then garnished with a fresh lemon slice and topped with club soda for a bit of fizz. Here’s the recipe:

Gin + Rose Lemonade Cocktail

Yields 1 cocktail

You’ll need:

• 1.5 ounces gin (I used Eau Claire Distillery Saskatoon Honey Gin)
• Fresh-made rose lemonade, to fill (recipe here and below)
• Club Soda, to top
• Lemon slices and edible rose petals, to garnish
• Ice

Directions:

Fill a long drink glass with ice and a lemon slice. Add 1.5 ounces gin and fill to3/4 full with rose lemonade. Top with a splash of club soda.

Pro tip: Garnish with rose petals, if desired, for a show-stopping look. But FYI – they get a bit soggy so look prettier than they taste!

 

Rose Lemonade Recipe

Yields 1 60 oz standard pitcher. Recipe can be adjusted to suit larger beverage dispensers.

You’ll need:

• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tsp culinary grade dried rose petals in a loose-leaf tea bag
• 5 lemons, juiced
• 1/2 tbsp rose water (I used Nielsen-Massey)
• Cold water, to top

Directions:

In a pitcher, dissolve one cup of sugar in one cup of boiling water. The heat helps the sugar dissolve properly – you don’t want your lemonade to be gritty. Stir vigorously until fully dissolved.

Add two tsp of culinary grade rose petals to a loose-leaf tea bag and steep it in the hot water and sugar until the mixture starts to turn pink, about 20 minutes. Then remove the tea bag and refrigerate the pink-hued mixture for a few minutes, until cooled.

Add the fresh-squeezed lemon juice and top your pitcher off with cold water. Add rose water. I found 1/2 tbsp was perfect –  Nielsen-Massey is quite concentrated – but other brands may require more. Refrigerate until chilled.

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Sip, sip, hooray!

Xo Holly Hunka

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