You may have noticed Sicilians’ fondness for floral essences—rose, orange-blossom, jasmine—and for other things florid, like language, architecture, and dreams. Rose water (definitely a legacy of the Saracens) has an easy affinity for almonds and pistachios and finds its way into cakes, ices, and beverages across the island. Here we have rosolio, a very traditional cordial made with rose petals. The name rosolio is thought to derive from ros (rose) + olio (oil) for its viscosity. But then again, there are rosolios of many flavors that have nothing at all to do with roses, so my own common-sense belief is that rosolio is to liqueurs what Kleenex is to tissues or Xerox is to photocopies. What I do know for sure is that rosolio is made at home and is offered to guests as a digestivo (digestive) and a sign of hospitality. To add an optional red tint to this, you can add a teaspoon of cochineal, the tiny little insects that have been the source of a brilliant-scarlet dye since long before Spanish galleons brought them from the New World in the 16th century. Cochineal is food-safe and is readily available online.
MAKES 6 CUPS
INGREDIENTS
4 cups grain alcohol, such as Everclear or 100-proof vodka
8 cups of the most fragrant unsprayed rose petals you can get your hands on
½–1 teaspoon cochineal
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
2 tablespoons rose water, if your rose petals don’t taste rosy enough
PREPARATION
In a 1-gallon jar with a lid, combine the alcohol, rose petals, and cochineal. Cover the jar and set it aside in a cool, dark place for 40 days and 40 nights.
On the forty-first day (or anytime thereafter), bring the sugar and water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Turn the heat down and simmer for 5 minutes, then whisk in the rose water, if using, and allow to cool completely. Stir the cooled syrup into the alcohol and strain the liquid into bottles, discarding the solids. The rosolio keeps at room temperature indefinitely.
