Cool enough to beat the summer heat but not sweet enough to make your teeth actually hurt, frosé is the go-to drink of the season and for good reason. Refreshing, fruity, moreish, and perfect for sharing with friends, frosé is a deceptively simple drink to make and will elevate any summertime occasion to summer-glam heights.
With friends coming round to catch some rays in your garden, pimping your favourite rosé wine equals long afternoons spent in good company. And, because frosé is a batch drink that needs minimal prep, you get to spend less time playing bartender and more time enjoying the rare British sun.
What is frosé?
First, let’s get to grips with what frosé is and why it’s such a popular summer drink. The origin of frosé is a bit of a mystery, but it’s typically credited as being created in 2016 at Bar Primi in New York.
Made from ice, strawberries, rosé wine and sugar, this simple, blended concoction can be whipped up in minutes. It’s also customisable – simply change up the fruits, wine, garnishes, additional spirits – anything goes. Even the consistency is up for grabs, with some preferring their frosé smooth, while others like it thicker, like a granita. Our advice? Make a few batches and find out which you prefer.
And while refreshing white wine slushies crop up frequently on summer drinks menus, our Madame F frosé recipe is totally the reigning champion.
How to make the best frosé
Everyone and their mother has their way of making frosé, and everyone believes their method is the best. We’re not biased, but we think our frosé recipe is factually The One.
Madame F frosé recipe
To make four servings of the refreshing treat, you’ll need:
- Plenty of ice.
- 1 bottle of Madame F rosé wine (chilled).
- 2 large handfuls of strawberries.
- 4 shots of vodka (optional but if it’s a party…).
- Sugar, simple syrup or honey.
Luckily, frosé is one of the easiest summer drinks to make, meaning you can rustle up a second or third batch in moments. To make it, follow this simple five-step process:
- Wash the strawberries, chop off the stems and leaves, and halve – the smaller they are, the easier they are to blend. Remember to leave a few whole for garnish.
- Fill the blender halfway full with ice, add the vodka (if desired), chopped strawberries and wine to your blender and secure the lid.
- Blend the ingredients in short bursts until it reaches the consistency you want.
- Add your choice of sweetener to taste and blend until well mixed.
- Pour equally into your glasses and garnish with a whole strawberry on the side.
It’s really that simple.
Here’s an idea – if your tongue’s more sharp than sweet, why not sub out the sugar for a squeeze of lemon juice for that extra tang?
How to serve frosé
Frosé should always be served fresh from the blender. It can turn watery if made in advance, diluting the intense strawberry flavour as the ice melts.
When it comes to serving up your frosé, there’s a few options depending on how you like it. If you’re opting for a thicker, granita-style frosé, it’s best to serve it in a classy champagne saucer, so your guests can easily enjoy the crunch before it melts away. However, if you’re feeling smooth, a hurricane glass or gin goblet with a reusable straw would be perfect.
But what about food?
Delicious when enjoyed on its own, frosé is also a drink to be savoured and served with food.
In our complete rosé wine guide, we looked at all the different dishes and cuisines that pair with varying varieties of rosé. The same can still apply depending on what variety of rosé you use to make your frosé, but because it’s much cooler than your standard glass of delicious rosé, the cold change how tastebuds process flavours. This is why you can add sugar to this drink when it has naturally sweet ingredients like strawberries – the cold dampens your sweet receptors, which is why frosé doesn’t give you a toothache when fresh as it does when warm and melted.
Because of this, sweet desserts like trifles, ice cream sundaes and cakes pair perfectly with frosé. But if you’re not looking to indulge your sweet tooth, it perfectly pairs with salty foods like pizza, seafood, bruschetta, and cheese.
Anyone else in the mood for a Mediterranean feast?
For more tasty and sultry cocktails, read our round up of the best wine cocktails for spring.
