We all know the craze that is rosé nowadays, and this summer I fell in love with a refreshing new take on the trend from Virtue Cider in Fennville, Michigan. All of their amazing ciders are made on-site and I got to sample quite a few in the tasting room located among their picturesque farmland in southwest Michigan. One of my favorites ended up being the Virtue Cider Rosé, which was introduced this past spring. Made from a blend of hand-pressed heirloom Michigan apples aged in French oak barrels, it pours a beautiful pink shade. It’s fantastic on its own as an all-day drinker or brunch/lunch/picnic option. But of course, I got my wheels spinning and decided to create this Rosé Cider Cocktail recipe—basically a boozy spritzer that’s perfect for warm days in the sun.

Since Virtue Cider Rosé is made like wine with floral notes and a dry, crisp finish—I knew it would be ideal for a spritzer. The hints of fresh-picked apple, grapefruit peel, and green strawberry also pair nicely with my favorite Tazo Passion Tea which is an herbal infusion of hibiscus, orange peel, rose hips & passion fruit flavors. To add a little sweetness I used a bit of organic raw honey. The rosé cider is  6.7% ABV, which gives a nice little buzz on its own—but I wanted to have a bit more of a kick so I poured in some of my favorite Journeyman Bilberry Black Hearts Gin.

Rosé Cider Cocktail

Ingredients:

1 can Virtue Cider Rosé

1 cup chilled Tazo Passion Tea (or any fruity/hibiscus tea)

2 oz gin

2 tsps honey

Grapefruit slices

Ice

Instructions:

In a cocktail shaker, combine some ice with the tea, gin, & honey. Give a good shake until the honey is dissolved. Pour evenly into two glasses filled with ice and top with the rosé cider. Garnish with grapefruit slices and enjoy! Makes 2 cocktails.

Photos by Laura Duggleby Photography