Blue Rose Cocktail

I have never been one to shy away from sharing all of the awesomeness that the Philadelphia area has to offer. I am pretty darn proud of my city, especially when it comes to our rocking food and beverage scene. So it should come as no surprise that my gin of choice is always Bluecoat Gin.

Why yes, Bluecoat IS made in Philadelphia!  What sets Bluecoat’s flavor apart from others is their use of organic juniper berries, which give off a more spicy, earthy tone versus pine-tree flavors found in regular juniper berries. Bluecoat is finished off with a premium blend of organic American citrus peels and spices which adds a nice citrusy finish to the spirit.

Bluecoat must have known my affinity for them, because I was asked to develop a Valentine’s Day themed cocktail using this yummy gin. Because Valentine’s Day is all about the love, I threw in a bunch of my favorite cocktail ingredients to make the “perfect” cocktail for me! (Here’s hoping you agree)

This recipe for a Blue Rose Cocktail starts with a strawberry mint simple syrup, adds in some sparking wine, and finishes off with some pomegranate juice.

My fiance (and considerably more creative half) dubbed this a “Blue Rose Cocktail” — Bluecoat Gin + rose coloring from the simple syrup and pomegranate juice.

Ingredients (makes 4):

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped strawberries (~2 strawberries)
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped mint sprigs
• 4 oz Bluecoat Gin, divided
• 12 oz dry sparkling wine, divided
• 1/4 cup pomegranate juice, divided

First make your simple syrup. Add the sugar, water, strawberries and mint to a small pot over medium heat, stirring to combine. Bring to a simmer and stir frequently until the sugar dissolves and the strawberries begin to break down, about 3 minutes.

Strain the mixture and let cool. This can be stored in an airtight jar in your fridge for up to one month.

When ready to make the cocktail, add 1 tablespoon of the simple syrup to each of four champagne flutes.

Add in 1 oz Bluecoat Gin to each flute.

Fill each with sparking wine (~3 oz in each glass), and top each with 1 tablespoon pomegranate juice.

Garnish with a strawberry if you so desire.

Be sure to use a dry (brut) sparkling wine because you only want a hint of sweetness in this cocktail. If you’re not a fan of sparkling wine you could substitute in club soda and have more of a “collins” style drink.

The strawberry mint simple syrup plays nicely off of the earthy flavor of Bluecoat and I just love the touch of pomegranate juice to this drink!  Cheers!

This is a sponsored post from  Bluecoat Gin. All opinions expressed are my own.