Cocktail guide
How to make La Rosée, a pink sour with aquafaba
La Rosée is the sort of drink that catches attention before anyone asks what is in it. Pink in the glass, pale on top, mint set lightly on the foam, it asks to be looked at before it is tasted. That also means every flaw shows. With 20 ml of VERY AQUAFABA replacing the egg white, the drink keeps its neat white cap above the raspberry colour, while the vodka, bergamot liqueur and 2 drops of orange blossom water stay in balance. This guide takes you through the build, the shake and the details that make the drink feel precise rather than merely pretty. Updated: .
What goes in the shaker
- 30 ml vodka
- 10 ml bergamot liqueur
- 20 ml lemon juice
- 15 ml raspberry syrup
- 2 drops of orange blossom water
- 20 ml VERY AQUAFABA, chilled
- A coupe glass, and a sprig of mint for the garnish
Most of the measures are familiar bar measures. The exception is the orange blossom water: 2 drops per drink, counted rather than poured.
How to shake it
- Build the vodka, the bergamot liqueur, the lemon, the raspberry syrup, the orange blossom water and the chilled aquafaba in the shaker.
- Shake hard without ice to build the foam.
- Add 8 to 10 ice cubes and shake again to chill and dilute.
- Strain into the coupe.
- Set a sprig of mint on the head.
Tips for making La Rosée with aquafaba
La Rosée needs care in two places. The first is the orange blossom water: 2 drops a drink, counted with a dropper rather than poured. Across 40 drinks that's 80 drops, and the La Rosée quantity calculator counts them with the larger measures.
The second is the foam. The raspberry syrup colours the whole drink, so a thin head shows pink straight away. Dry shake before the ice goes in, and the mint on top gives you one last check once the drink is in the coupe.
For a busy service, batch the vodka, bergamot liqueur, lemon, raspberry syrup and orange blossom water together. Each order then starts with a 75 ml pour, and the drops have already been measured in the batch. Keep the aquafaba chilled and separate until the shake, and keep the La Rosée process sheet by the coupes for the checks.
Fixing a thin head on La Rosée
| What you see | Why | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Pink showing through a thin head | Ice went in before the dry shake | Dry shake first, ice second |
| A slack foam that rises slowly | The aquafaba was at room temperature | Keep it in the fridge until the shake |
| The mint sinks before the drink reaches the table | The drink waited on the pass | Shake to order and serve at once |
| The orange blossom takes over the drink | More than 2 drops went in | Measure it with a dropper bottle |
Is La Rosée a regular or a special?
A 1L Tetrapak makes 50 La Rosée and, once opened, stays at 2 to 6 °C for 3 to 4 days. That works when the drink has a steady place on the menu. If it appears as a special or sells less often, use 1.3g of powder with 20 ml of water per drink and keep the remaining pouch dry and closed.
Where to buy VERY AQUAFABA
Please drink responsibly
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