How to Turn Any Bottle of Liquor into 4 Delicious Cocktails!

Hi Friends of Cocktails! Do you have a bottle of liquor at home that just… sits there? You bought it once, maybe used it for a spritz or two, and now it’s just collecting dust because there just aren’t that many fun recipes out there for it. Today, we’ll grab one of those bottles–Ramazzotti Aperitivo Rosato–and turn it into 4 delicious cocktails.

Along the way, I’ll also share 4 useful tips that’ll help you come up with new cocktail ideas for any bottle you’ve got at home–and the last hack will show you how to tweak today’s recipes for any bottle you’ve been unfairly ignoring. But first I have a confession: my job today is a bit easier, because I’m quite familiar with this bottle.

Rosato Spritz and the Rosato & Tonic are popular summer cocktails in Slovenia. But that’s about it, really… So let’s change that today. So what if you got something you haven’t seen or used before? Here’s tip #1: When you’re working with an unfamiliar bottle, first figure out what it is. Is it an aperitivo, a liqueur, a spirit, or a bitter?

After learning what you’re working with, try to find a better-known bottle it resembles based on taste, color, and how it's used. For our Aperitivo Rosato, the closest match is probably Aperol with its bittersweet, citrusy character. Aperitivo Rosato is a bit sweeter and more floral, but it’s close enough to help us think about the recipes to use it in.

So with that in mind let’s make the first two cocktails as twists on modern classics, starting with a Paper Plane variation I’m calling the Rose Plane. It’s Cocktail Time!

Rose Plane

● 22.5mL · 0.75oz Irish Whiskey

● 22.5mL · 0.75oz Ramazzotti Aperitivo Rosato

● 22.5mL · 0.75oz Amaro Nonino

● 22.5mL · 0.75oz Lemon Juice

● 2 drops 20% Saline Solution

● Paper Plane Garnish

Into a shaker I’m adding the ingredients along with plenty of ice. We’ll then shake it all up to chill and dilute our cocktail. Make sure you have the paper plane garnish ready as well, but before it takes off, spray it with oils from a lemon peel. Now double strain the cocktail into a chilled cocktail glass, add the plane, and enjoy!

For our next cocktail we’re staying in the world of equal parts. So next up, a zesty, floral, herbal, and slightly smoky drink.

Rosato & Famous

● 22.5mL · 0.75oz Rosa Tequila

● 22.5mL · 0.75oz Ramazzotti Aperitivo Rosato

● 22.5mL · 0.75oz Green Chartreuse

● 22.5mL · 0.75oz Lime Super Juice

● 1 dash 20% Saline Solution

We’ll start again with a shaker, into which we’ll add the ingredients. Now add ice, and shake hard before straining the cocktail into a chilled Nick & Nora glass. This one doesn’t need a garnish, but before serving, give it a quick perfume of mezcal to add just a hint of smokiness. But now it’s time for another tip, before cocktail #3.

If a bottle can be used in a simple 2-ingredient cocktail, try elevating it by adding layers or changing the texture. For example, a milk wash, with a splash of juice or some added spices, can create a clarified twist that completely transforms a one-dimensional drink. That’s what we’ll do with a clarified version of the Rosato & Tonic that I’m calling the Rosato Bloom.

This time we’ll get a light, floral, and fruity, with a silky, almost creamy texture that finishes crisp from the tonic.

Rosato Bloom

● 230mL · 7.5oz Ramazzotti Aperitivo Rosato

● 120mL · 4oz Cherry Juice

● 30mL · 1oz Lemon Juice

● 90mL · 3oz Warm Milk

● 90mL · 3oz Clarified Cherry Rosato Base

● 45g Tonic Water

● 2 drops 20% Saline Solution

● Basil Leaf Garnish

Start by combining the aperitivo with cherry juice and lemon juice, before pouring the mixture over the warm milk. I’ve found that warm milk does a better job at curdling and clarifying our acidic mixture. Let it sit for about 10 minutes, then strain it slowly through a coffee filter.

Once you see the liquid is running completely clear you can simply re-filter the first part, and you’ll end up with a clear, silky liquid. That’s our cocktail base, and to serve it just grab a tulip glass with a clear ice sphere and add 3oz or 90mL of our clarified cherry rosato base.

Here we’re back to 2 drops of 20% saline solution, then top it up with 45g of tonic water. That’s about 1.5oz or 45mL, but using a scale we’ll make sure to keep as much carbonation in as possible. Stir gently with a barspoon before adding the garnish, and remember to give it a little slap against the side of the glass to release its aroma before dropping it in.

The Rosato Bloom, ready to be enjoyed with all of the senses, and before the last cocktail, tip #3. If your bottle works in a spritz, keep it sparkly, but change the texture. Turning it into a sorbet or granita and pairing it with sparkling wine can open up a dessert-friendly side of your bottle.

So for our final cocktail, let’s turn Rosato into a floral sorbet and use that to make a frozen Rosato Sgroppino. It’s zesty, slightly floral, and frosty, with a soft sparkling acidity–a wonderful summer dessert.

Rosato Sgroppino

● 60mL · 2oz Ramazzotti Aperitivo Rosato

● 22.5mL · 0.75oz Lemon Juice

● 2g Lemon Zest

● 1 dash 20% Saline Solution

● 250g Crushed or Pebble Ice

● 100g Rosato Sorbet

● 80g Prosecco

● 2 drops 20% Saline Solution

Into a blender add the aperitivo, lemon juice, lemon zest, saline solution, and crushed or pebbled ice. Now blend until you get a soft sorbet texture. This sorbet has a lovely floral base of our Rosato, with boosted citrus notes, and from here we have two options of serving it.

You can scoop 100g of the sorbet into a coupe glass and top it up with 80g of prosecco, then serve this with a spoon, so the guest can mix or sip at their own pace. Option two is to blend the same amounts in a mixing glass, until you get a smooth, homogenous mixture, and serve that, with an optional garnish of a mint leaf.

But either way you serve the Rosato Sgroppino, it’s amazing. With that we’ve reached the Bottom of the Glass so it’s time for the final tip: use AI. Seriously. Ask it about the flavor profile of your bottle, what it’s similar to, and what flavors it would pair with.

Or just ask it directly, “what can I make with this bottle?”. Perplexity, ChatGPT, Gemini, it’s all in your backpocket at all times now. Just know you’re still the one making the drink, so make sure you try out the recipe, to see if it works or if you need to adjust anything to make it work. Until next time, cheers, Friends of Cocktails!