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La Rosita is truly a diverse cocktail, calling on reposado tequila, both sweet and dry vermouth, Campari, and a touch of Angostura bitters. If you’re keeping track, that makes one ingredient from Mexico, three from various parts of Italy, and another from a riverport town in Venezuela. The recipe is reminiscent of a Negroni but the few tweaks thrown in by its creator, Gary “Gaz” Regan, make it a fresh, tequila-based drink perfect for a refreshing summer afternoon (or evening).
Bar Tools
- Jigger
- Stirrer
- Peeler
To Serve: in an Old Fashioned glass.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 oz. Tequila
- 1 oz. Campari
- 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth
- 1/2 oz. dry vermouth
- 1 dash bitters
- Crushed ice
To Garnish: with a lemon twist
How to Make
Pour tequila, Campari, sweet vermouth, dry vermouth, and bitters into an old-fashioned glass filled with crushed ice. Stir and garnish with a lemon twist.
Nutritional Facts and ABV
- ABV (alcohol by volume): 21.2%
- Calories: 224 calories
- Total carbohydrates: 10.2 grams
- Total added sugar: 11.8 grams
History
While many older classic cocktails are tied to one specific part of the world through their ingredients, this one from Gary “Gaz” Reagan features a spirit and liqueurs from all around the globe, which is a testament to how relatively young the drink is. Reagan was a world-famous bartender/mixologist and author of The Bartender’s Bible, a popular text of the early 1990s. La Rosita was one of the 1001 Mixed Drinks in that book (#461, to be exact) and apparently it wasn’t all that memorable for Reagan because, as the story goes, he forgot all about it for more than a decade. It wasn’t until nearly 15 years later that a friend made the cocktail for him, neither of them knowing that he had been the one to invent it years earlier. Upon some digging, Reagan realized the Rosita recipe was one of his own creations and the drink has caught its second wind in the years since.
FAQ
Do I really need dry vermouth and sweet vermouth?
Sweet and dry vermouth are distinctly different and named so for their specific flavor profiles. Dry vermouth is very low in sugar, has a lighter body (and color), and, of course, has a dry finish. Sweet vermouth, on the other hand, is fuller-bodied with darker fruit notes (and color), spices, and even a hint of caramel. Leaving either ingredient out would definitely take away from Gaz Reagan’s initial inspiration for the Rosita.
This recipe calls for reposado, but can I use any tequila?
Blanco, reposado, and añejo tequilas are all classified by their aging and distilling process (or lack thereof). Reposado, specifically, must be aged for less than a year in oak barrels while blanco isn’t aged at all. That aging process, while short, is what can add oak flavors, vanilla, or any spice notes to blend with the citrusy flavors of agave. It certainly has a distinctly different taste from blanco and añejo tequilas, meant to pair with the other ingredients in the Rosita.
Check our list of favorite low-budget tequilas for more inspiration.
