Rosé Vodka is a Thing Now, and It’s Pretty Delicious

Rosé vodka is officially a thing now, and I’m here to tell you that it’s absolutely delicious.

This month California-based Hanger 1 unveiled a new addition to its lineup, a rosé-flavored vodka. It’s far from the first “rosé” spirits we’ve seen, but it is one of the first out there that’s made using actual rosé wine.

Typically when brands have gone the rosé route they get the pink color from things like added strawberry or raspberry. With those offerings, what you’re really getting is a fruit-flavored spirit that happens to be pink, not a rosé spirit.

Hangar 1’s rosé vodka is a combination of the distillery’s classic vodka (that is distilled from grapes) and a rosé blend of Petit Verdot and White Meritage wines.

Called Shoemaker, the head distiller at Hangar 1 says that the inspiration for the vodka came from nearby wine country.

“There’s definitely a moment where you start to get inspired by techniques that you haven’t seen before and ways of approaching ingredients that you haven’t seen before, and that’s exactly where I’m coming from with this rosé vodka,” she says.

The wine plays a huge role in the flavor of the vodka. The use of Petit Verdot is how the vodka gets its pink color and tannins, while the Heritage helps give it a sweet flavor and silky mouthfeel.

I’m not typically one for just sipping on vodka by itself, but this is definitely a vodka I would make an exception for. And at a 30% ABV it’s a little lower alcohol than your typical vodka so that sipping is actually something that I could do.