Sunflower Liqueur Rosolio Recipe

Rosolio is an Italian liqueur made from flowers this is another recipe from The Bible of Homemade Italian Liqueurs.

Ingredients
1 L of Everclear 190 proof
20 sunflowers
12 saffron threads
4 ½ cups of sugar
1 L of water

Gently wash and dry the sunflowers using only the pedals.  Put the petals and the saffron and the alcohol in an airtight jar let soak for two weeks. Filter out the petals. Make a simple syrup with the sugar and the water add the syrup to the alcohol bottle and let rest for one month.

This liqueur is beautifully bright yellow, smooth and sweet, full bodied with flavors of sunflower, hay, grapefruit and a dry herbal finish.  As with any floral liqueur your taste buds may find the flavor a little odd at first. The dryness and the finish literally does taste like your drinking sunflowers. I found it exceptionally pleasant and very refreshing and it added a bit of summer sunshine to my cold winter.

Cocktail Suggestions:
Mix two parts sunflower liqueur, one part of amaretto liqueur, a pinch of saffron and pour into a highball glass over ice cubes.

Pour over ice in a big glass two parts sunflower liqueur, one part dry gin, two parts orange juice and stir.