Wild Rose

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Cocktail History

The Wild Rose is a modern cocktail that was first published in The Official Downton Abbey Cocktail Book by Lou Bustamante. It was created as a variation of the Prince of Wales that calls for sparkling wine, pineapple, cherry, and bitters but uses whiskey as the base spirit instead of tequila. The drink was named for Lady Rose MacClare, one of the more fun-loving and rebellious female characters in the television show Downton Abbey, and according to the book, it uses tequila because it was a spirit that would’ve been known in 1920s England but less common because it was from the Americas, where Lady Rose eventually moves.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Sparkling Wine: This is a type of wine made with white grapes and yeast, which are fermented with the skins to produce alcohol and then infused with carbon dioxide gas to develop a pale yellow-green color and crisp, fruity flavor.

Tequila Blanco: This is a type of tequila made in Mexico with fermented blue agave and yeast, which are distilled and then left unaged to develop a bright, agave-forward flavor.

Pineapple Gum Syrup: This is a sweetener made with pineapple juice, gum arabic powder, citric acid, white sugar, and water, which are heated and infused into a syrup with a tangy, tropical flavor.

Maraschino Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with maraschino cherries, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are blended and infused to develop a sweet, fruity flavor.

Aromatic Bitters: This is a concentrated flavoring made with a blend of herbs, spices, roots, and botanicals, and distilled alcohol, which are macerated or steeped to develop an aromatic, bittersweet flavor.

Orange Twist: This is the peel of an orange that has been twisted into a corkscrew shape.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.

Paring Knife: This is used to cut ingredients. I used the OXO Good Grips 3.5 Inch Paring Knife.

Juicer: This is used to juice citrus. I used the ALEEHAI Manual Fruit Juicer.

Peeler: This is used to remove the garnish peel from the citrus. I used the OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Peeler Set.

Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Pale pink-yellow color

• Aroma: Cherry and wine

• Taste: Tingly sparkling wine flavor with notes of tequila, pineapple, and spices

• Finish: Strong cherry notes

Kendall’s Take: “Between this variation and the classic Prince of Wales, I think I like the Wild Rose a bit better. The rye in the original is just a too spicy and overpowering, in my opinion, while the tequila does a better job of blending in. This combination of flavors still isn’t quite my favorite, so I don’t know that I would make another, but it is unique. And I love any chance I get to use a delicious homemade pineapple syrup.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Official Downton Abbey Cocktail Book: Appropriate Libations for All Occasions by Lou Bustamante.