Just like color-blocked beach balls and a deep tan, frosé is a summer sensation that doesn’t go out of style. That’s why I put it in my cookbook, Basic Bitchen. Frosé may seem like a hard-to-make indulgence you can only find at tiki lounges and surf side beach bars, but imbibers should know just how easy it is to concoct the slushy summer sipper from the comfort of home.
That means anyone can pocket the $15 (per drink!) they’d shell out at a bar or restaurant and, instead, throw a frosé party with just only four easy-to-find ingredients: a bottle of rosé, frozen strawberries, lemon juice and simple syrup. And a blender, of course.
A quality blender will give you a smooth batch of frosé
Step-by-step instructions for making rosé:
1. Take any bottle of rose and pour it into a large, zip-top bag. Freeze it for 5 hours until it reaches a slushy consistency.
(Pro tip: The darker the rosé, the darker the drink. Opt for a deeper blush to yield a more eye-popping outcome.)
2. Pour out the frozen rosé into a blender. Add a cup and a half of frozen strawberries and a quarter of a cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Avoid the bottled stuff from concentrate — it doesn’t provide the same level of tartness and can taste a bit superficial.
3. Add a quarter of a cup of simple syrup. Simple syrup can be bought premade at most liquor stores, but anyone can easily create it in their own kitchen by dissolving a cup of sugar in a cup of water on the stove (1:1 ratio).
4. Heat and stir until the granules are dissolved, but be sure to only add the liquid to your frosé after it completely cools to room temperature. A hot simple syrup will melt the other ingredient components and eliminate the iciness.
5. Blend everything until smooth (but not runny!) and pour out into a favorite drinking vessel. Garnish with a mint leaf and sliced strawberry to trick your guests into thinking you’re bougie and always put in extra effort.
These are only the basics when it comes to frosé-making perfection. Here are additional tips to keep in mind, should you want to customize or enhance your beverage:
Use your favorite dry or sweet rosé to make the slushy drink at home.
- Opt for clear glasses like these coupes from Crate & Barrel or oversized margarita glasses from Williams Sonoma — you’ll want the trademark pink to really pop
- Experiment by swapping strawberries with other fruits like peaches, pineapple, mango or watermelon. Avoid produce like blackberries and raspberries with larger seeds. These get stuck in your teeth and make sipping no fun.
- Add more simple syrup if you prefer a sweeter drink. You can also substitute simple syrup with flavored fruit syrups such as these from pink House Alchemy.
- Your frosé is only as good as the blender it was made in. Opt for one of these best blenders of 2024, which have been tested and certified by CNET editors
At the end of any dog day of summer, a frozen adult beverage is simply what the doctor ordered. (OK, maybe not the doctor, but a very intelligent bartender.) Frosé washes away the stresses of a hot work week and stands tall as the star of any warm-weather happy hour.
