About
We created Ortolan Rosolio to be a versatile aperitif to complement classic cocktails and be enjoyed on its own, over ice. We make it using over 25 different types of heirloom, garden roses, farmed sustainably in California, each which lends its own scent, flavor and color to the blend. We balance it with a few other botanicals to add balance and length. The result is complex, ethereal, and wholly unique.
What’s Rosolio?
We get it that you’ve probably never had a rosolio, and likely have never heard of one before, either. Neither had we until after we started playing with our garden roses using old distilling techniques and thought, “Hey, this is actually really good and I’ve never had anything like it! Someone must have done this before.”
Turns out, like lots of things, Italians had done something similar for centuries up until the beginning of the 1900s and called it Rosolio. While traditionally rosolios can be made from many different regional ingredients and usually eschew bitter ones, some rosolios—especially those from Torino—incorporate roses heavily in their recipes. We tend to think that whereas amaros focus on strong flavors and attack the palate, rosolios emphasize aromas and lightness on the palate.
Ortolan Rosolio is unique as a rosolio in that it is a distinctly modern, distinctly Californian take on the traditional category.
Sourcing and Farming
Our secret is in our sourcing. We harvest more than 20 different varieties of heirloom garden roses to create an expansive blend of scents and flavors. Most other rose products are made from a single type of rose, the damask rose, or derivatives and to a singular, “typical-rose” effect. Some of our roses give citrusy or apple and pear notes, some spice and earthiness, some jasmine and honey, but all give something floral.
The roses are harvested by hand and treated carefully throughout the production process. We source roses from farms in California that are committed to sustainability and the well-being of their workers. We help them minimize waste and increase the productivity of their farm by using roses that they don’t sell to the floral trade. This helps to make them more competitive against conventional rose farms that tend to use harmful pesticides and grow varieties based on production rather than beauty.
We are proud to partner with our farmers to help them in their efforts to grow, preserve, and share the beauty of their roses… and to share that in Ortolan Rosolio.
Color Change
The colors of the roses lend themselves to a unique property: Ortolan Rosolio changes hue with the addition of something acidic, like lime juice. Whereas on its own, Ortolan is an amber/cognac hue, when acidity is added the drink becomes bright pink. It’s a natural reaction of the pigments in the roses. We enjoy this property because it’s fun and beautiful, but it’s also inevitable given the blend of roses that we use to make Ortolan as delicious and versatile as possible.