The Classic Gets a New Twist

It recently came to my attention that my people need a frosé recipe. After a moment of panic that I had neglected to address this absolute summer staple, I breathed deeply and checked my archives. And…whew! Bring It’s been there/done that, all the way back in 2016. But hey, there are much more important things than recipes that I’ve forgotten in the past decade, so it deserves a call-out and an update.
 
The good news: Upon exhaustive testing I can assure you the original stands the test of time. If you mix up the original slacker version of frosé or frosecco and stash it in your freezer to have at the ready, you will be totally ready for a strong back half of summer. If you want a little twist on the original–-made with delicious strawberry syrup–-V2 uses hibiscus syrup. It’s a little more floral (for obvious reasons) and has a bit of tang not found in the strawberry version. Maybe that’s your thing, maybe it’s not. The giant bag of dried hibiscus flowers in my pantry, not to mention the pure ease of making hibiscus syrup with them,  means it is definitely MY jam.
 
For those of you out there saying, “C’mon Edie. Ain’t no simple in making simple syrup,” I salute your commitment to slackerdom. If you also happen to be looking for a drink with the ultimate low bar/dive bar vibe and price tag, I have you covered. I’ll direct you to the “Spagett” — basically Miller High Life (or a similar low budget low alcohol summer beer) spiked with a half shot of Aperol.

Some of you are wincing, possibly gagging. Some of you, like me, are intrigued. I say this after enjoying light beer on ice more than a few times this summer. Right after I make a batch of Frosé V2 I’m going to replace the bottle of Aperol that disappeared with the last batch of college kids (as did the cheap beer). I’m going to get myself really hot and thirsty and desperate, take one for the team, and fire up a spaghett. Stay tuned. If you beat me to it please let me know how it goes down.
 
That’s it people! It’s time to bring your Summer A game to the table and enjoy every moment of August. Jump in the lake, the river, the ocean, the sprinkler, the outdoor shower and drip dry in the sun as you sip something delicious. Trust me…your hair looks fine.

Frosé V 2

(Click here for the original version of Frose and Frosecco)
Servings: 4–6

Ingredients

• 1 750 ml bottle hearty, bold rosé (or whatever rosé you’ve got), or Prosecco
• ¼ cup vodka (optional but helps keep it a little looser and sassier)
• ½ cup hibiscus syrup (see below)
• 2½ ounces fresh lemon juice

Hibiscus Syrup

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• ¼ cup dried hibiscus flowers (or several red zinger tea bags).

Preparation

Make hibiscus syrup: Combine sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir to dissolve sugar. When the mixture starts to bubble around the edges, stir in the hibiscus flowers and turn off the heat. Let steep for 15 minutes (too long makes it bitter), then strain syrup into a measuring cup to cool. Store in a jar or bottle in the refrigerator.

Slacker version: Combine all ingredients into a 13″ x 9″ pan (or, a transportable Tupperware/beverage container of choice) and put in the freezer for at least six hours. Before serving remove from freezer and allow to loosen up a bit (a hot summer day does the trick beautifully) then scrape/break it up, pour into glasses and serve.

Pro Version: Pour rosé and optional vodka into a 13″ × 9″ pan (or, a transportable Tupperware/beverage container of choice) and freeze until almost solid (it won’t completely solidify due to the alcohol), at least 6 hours. Allow longer if working with multiple bottles.

Scrape rosé into a blender. Add lemon juice, ½ cup hibiscus syrup, and 1 cup crushed ice and purée until smooth. Transfer blender jar to freezer and freeze until frosé is thickened (aim for milkshake consistency), 25–35 minutes. Blend again until frosé is slushy. Divide among glasses.

Bringing It:

Transport the entire container in a cooler, using it to cool your other offerings.  At your destination, pull out the container, stir or scrape frosé/frosecco to a uniform consistency and pour into glasses. You might need a spoon at first, but a hot summer day will soon take care of that!