Video game cocktail recipe: A Crimson Rose and a Gin Tonic

I love the smell and delicate flavor of roses, but they certainly aren’t a common ingredient in American dishes. Just as I was wondering how to best fit these beautiful flowers into my cooking, inspiration came from an unexpected source: the soundtrack from the 2009 PS3 game Katamari Forever.

The jazzy song “A Crimson Rose and a Gin Tonic” first appeared in the original Katamari Damacy game released for the PS2 in 2004. But YMCK’s remake of the tune for Katamari Forever completely transforms the original. As a long-time YMCK fan, I’m absolutely biased; I love the group’s Astrud-Gilberto-trapped-in-a-Famicom sound, which is as fun as it is technically complex and precise.

Here’s my tribute in cocktail form: A Crimson Rose and a Gin Tonic.

  • 1 oz. gin, chilled (I recommend Botanist)

  • 1 1⁄2 tsp. fresh lime juice

  • 1⁄2 tsp. rose syrup

  • 1⁄4 tsp. Jack Rudy Co. Small Batch Grenadine

  • 2 oz. Fever Tree Elderflower Tonic Water

  • Ice cubes

  • Dried rose petals for garnish

Combine gin, lime juice, rose syrup, and grenadine in a short glass and stir. Add ice cubes, tonic water, and rose petal garnish. Serving this drink in a short glass without a straw allows one to smell the fragrance from the dried rose petals while drinking. Kanpai!


by Rachel Weil on Friday, May 15, 2015