It’s particularly exciting news for this avid home bartender who has been trying to recreate the Lipstick Rose recipe from Conigliaro’s Le Coq bar in Paris for approximately five years… Lacking my own rotary evaporator – I know, I know, it’s on my Christmas list – my most memorable attempt was when I grossly misread the instructions and ended up combining a massive 50ml of rosewater with just 500ml of vodka. The result? A floral, perfumed mess. No problem, I thought. I can just dilute it down with more vodka. This is why, five years later, we still have approximately three litres of barely passable rose vodka languishing in the cupboards at Bar Mennie.
Never fear though, as the Drink Factory team are pros, and have instead vacuum distilled dried pink rose petals with a neutral grain vodka. This has the dual benefit of maintaining the delicate rose flavour as well as being far more impressive than bunging a ton of rosewater in a bottle of Absolut and hoping for the best.