An evening with the rich and silky Black Rose cocktail is time well spent indeed.
The name of tonight’s mélange, the Black Rose, can conjure up a whirlwind of varying images. It’s all at once romantic and mysterious, dark and soft, with just a hint of danger. Remember, a rose still has thorns. It also has a little rock ‘n’ roll in it, too. As my imagination runs away with itself, the heavy, epic riffs of Thin Lizzy’s “Róisín Dubh (Black Rose): A Rock Legend” is the soundtrack in my head.
Of course, the history of the cocktail itself, or the road to it, is a tad twisty. Back in the 1920s, a tipple that bore the name Black Rose emerged from the romantic streets of Paris. This gin-forward and fruity concoction was a Jazz Age invention, and more akin to the classic Martini. There are other mixed drinks out there that have also adopted the name as their own, but tonight’s recipe is considered a contemporary classic.
Invented by New York bartender Dale DeGroff in the early 2000s, this modern-day mixture from “King Cocktail” is inspired by historic sippers like the Sazerac and Old Fashioned. With the combination of bourbon and cognac, along with both the Peychaud’s and Angostura bitters, the Black Rose we’ll be mixing tonight finishes with a warm and robust sweetness.
If you have any Thin Lizzy—and I highly recommend Live and Dangerous—put some on your fancy turntable and relax with a strong and silky Black Rose.
What is the best alcohol to use in a Black Rose cocktail?
I’ve recently been splashing out a bit on my bourbons. In the past few years, I’ve settled on Bulleit as my go-to bourbon brand. It’s smooth, flavorful, and has a fantastic price. Feels top-shelf without costing an arm and a leg. But the last few weeks, I’ve become quite enamored with Knob Creek and Woodford Reserve. They’re pricier, but you can really taste the difference. Any of these would pair fantastically with a popular and well-known cognac such as Hennessy, Martell, Rémy Martin, or Courvoisier.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce bourbon whiskey
- 1 ounce cognac
- 1/4 ounce grenadine syrup
- 2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
- 1 dash Angostura bitters
- Lemon twist for garnish
Instructions
- Place your Old Fashioned glass in the freezer for a few minutes to get it frosty.
- In a mixing glass, add the bourbon, cognac, grenadine, and bitters.
- Fill the mixing glass about 3/4 full with ice. Stir for 20 seconds to chill the drink.
- Strain the mixture into your chilled glass. Express the oils of a fresh lemon twist over the surface of the drink, rub it along the rim, and drop it into the glass.
Nutrition
What glassware and garnish are used?
Chill a rocks glass in your freezer a bit before pouring your drink into it. Once it’s ready to sip, express the oils of a lemon twist over it and drop it in for garnish.
Can you shake this cocktail?
It is best to stir this drink in a mixing glass. The finished result will be silky and clear. Shaking it would froth it a little and you’ll end up with a cloudy concoction.
Similar cocktails to the Black Rose
So now that we have some nice bottles of bourbon and cognac sitting on the shelf at our home bar, let’s take a gander at some of the drinks we can craft at home using these fine spirits. Twist & Toast has an almost dizzying array of delicious recipes that you can try out this weekend. Below are only a handful, so make sure you explore the site for even more.
- Vieux Carré – This classic from the Big Easy is both dark and smooth.
- Boulevardier – Bourbon, sweet vermouth, and Campari combine in this rich sipper.
- Grand Marnier Sidecar – Cognac and Grand Marnier join forces in this citrusy treat.
- Champs-Élysées – Cognac and Green Chartreuse come together in this Parisian-inspired beverage.
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