Rose Kennedy

Rose Kennedy is an easy-to-make highball drink that’s popular in the mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States. Also known as a “VSS” or Vodka Soda Smash, it uses vodka as its base spirit, together with soda water and a splash of cranberry juice. It’s traditionally served in a highball glass with ice cubes, garnished with a lime wedge.

While it’s made with “just a splash of cranberry juice”, the ratio of vodka to soda is very much up to the individual making it. It can be anywhere between 1 to 3 parts soda to 1 part vodka.

However, in the spirit of doing things differently, we here at Absolut like to use Absolut Grapefruit as the base spirit and to garnish with a lemon wedge instead of a lime wedge.

With grapefruit-flavored vodka as its base, our Rose Kennedy drink is crisp, bubbly, and subtly sweet, featuring a touch of grapefruit and distinct pink grapefruit notes. The splash of cranberry adds a nice tartness that rounds off the drink perfectly.

The Rose Kennedy drink is thought to have originated in the 1990s at a bar in Washington, D.C.

The drink is popular particularly in the mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States and is believed to have gotten its inspiration from the classic Cape Cod (aka Cape Codder).

• Find the right balance…for you
  Taste is personal and the Rose Kennedy is a drink that easily made to preference. While our recipe calls for equal parts vodka and soda water, other recipes suggest anywhere between 1 to 3 parts soda to 1 part vodka. Play around with it until you find the right mix for your tastebuds.
  
  
• Premium soda water
  There’s soda water and then there’s SODA WATER. Sure, you can use water from the tap and then carbonate it. However, we recommend using a premium bottled soda water, which contains purified water, carbon dioxide (for bubbles), and added mineral salts that give it a slightly mineral-like taste.
• Use cranberry juice mix
  While we usually advocate for fresh ingredients in cocktails, cranberry juice is an exception. Most cocktail recipes use cranberry juice mix, which is store-bought and pre-sweetened, rather than pure cranberry juice.

  Cranberry juice mix blends cranberry juice with added sugars and other fruit juices, making it less tart and more suitable for a variety of cocktails. Make your life easier and grab cranberry juice mix from your local supermarket.

The Rose Kennedy drink draws inspiration from the Cape Cod family of cocktails. Instead of listing every possible variation (and there are countless!), we’ll share a couple of our favorite ways to add a twist to your Rose Kennedy recipe.

• Use original Absolut Vodka
  If you want to make a classic Rose Kennedy, then original Absolut Vodka is the vodka to use. While our drink recipe opts for Absolut Grapefruit for a delicious grapefruit twist, try unflavored vodka to experience the drink how it was traditionally made and see which you prefer.
• Use Absolut Citron
  Want to mix up your citrus? Swap Absolut Grapefruit for Absolut Citron for a lemony twist on a Rose Kennedy drink.
• The Greyhound
  Love grapefruit? So do we, which is why we love The Greyhound. It mixes Absolut Grapefruit together with fresh grapefruit juice. Discover how to make The Greyhound drink.

• Sea Breeze
  In theory, this classic cocktail shares the same ingredients and flavors—cranberry, grapefruit, and vodka—but in different ratios. While the Rose Kennedy uses just a splash of cranberry juice, it’s the star of the show in a Sea Breeze. Plus, a classic Sea Breeze is made with Absolut Vodka instead of Absolut Grapefruit, getting its grapefruit flavor from fresh grapefruit juice. And it’s incredible. Check out the recipe for a Sea Breeze cocktail.
• Easy Breeze

  The name says it all, The Easy Breeze is made with equal parts Absolut Vodka and cranberry juice, and is then garnished with an orange wedge. Who doesn’t love no-fuss summer drinks? See how to make an Easy Breeze.

• We recommend serving a Rose Kennedy drink a highball glass with ice cubes. However, it can also be made in a rocks glass, which works just as well.

• A lime wedge, placed directly in the glass, is the traditional garnish for a Rose Kennedy. However, to add a twist, our drink recipe calls for a lemon wedge instead.

• Why not elevate the flavor of grapefruit further and opt for a grapefruit wedge? Now we’re talking! Whatever you decide, we recommend keeping the garnish citrusy.