Happy Buddha - Rose's Lime substitute

Hey Folks,

I'm looking to try the Happy Buddha from Beachbum's Remixed but have hit a slight snag. The Happy Buddha calls for Roses Lime Cordial. I would prefer not to have to go out and buy this if it can be avoided. Does anyone have any substitutions that would work in this drink?

Thanks

My ears are burning!! :)

Just use fresh lime juice & a good sugar or gum syrup as a sub for roses.

Yeah, that's probably the best. I've not tried the cordial but if it has a strong lime scent without a sour flavor (if someone has tried it they might be able to confirm this) then what you could do is make your own by soaking lime zest in Simple/Rich syrup (add vodka after you're done if you want to give it some shelf life).

For what it's worth, Rose's Lime a Cordial is cheap, and can be used in a number of drinks. It's an artificial lime sweetener, basically. A bottle only cost a few dollars.

If you feel the need to make your own, here's a recipe: http://cocktails.about.com/od/makeyourownmixers/r/lime_cordial.htm

Total cost will be more than buying the Rose's.

[ Edited by: TikiTacky 2014-05-25 12:04 ]

Rose's also works for the original Suffering Bastard - I think it meshes well with the Ginger beer

I gave in and picked it up. I don't love it. It works fine in the Happy Buddha, but I don't see much use for it going forward.

I've also never had much love for the Rose's lime products. They historically worked well to ward off scurvy. But if you don't have limes, and you need a substitute, it's understandable that you would press these Rose's products into service. That's part of the fun in the challenge of dealing with a product shortage.

Key Lime Cocktail!

Lime bars!

The lime face!

So all in all, which do you think makes a better Suffering Bastard and/or Happy Buddha- Rose's or Fresh Lime and SS?

I think it will depend on your personal taste and your preferences. Some enjoy the Rose's lime, but I will only use it if the recipe calls for it specifically - the authenticity of the re-creation is important to me. But I would also tend to try the recipe with fresh lime juice just because the Rose's is a bit off-putting to me.

I don't think that answers your question, so:

1. If you don't own Rose's already, then try it with fresh lime juice. You may be pleased with the result.
2. If you are curious enough, then buy a bottle of Rose's and try it. It's not going to set you back a lot of money, and you may enjoy the test as that is what many find so enjoyable about cocktail mixology.

Ok, so that still doesn't answer your question, so: I don't know which is "better," but I would try it both ways. If I do that, I'll post my result here, but don't hold your breath because I have a pretty good stack of recipes saved up for testing. And I know I don't have any lime cordial in my bar right now.

I'd love to see you post your decision here, especially if you try both variations. Cheers!

I am pretty open about my friendships. Whether you are republican or democrat or whatever, we can be friends. There are a few things I won't tolerate.

Racism, Bigotry and using Rose's in your cocktails instead of squeezing fresh limes. Rose's is just the wedge between me and certain people.

Swanky, even if Rose's is in the original recipe, you'd still use fresh limes? I thought the approach I outlined was open-minded and flexible -- try it first per the recipe with Rose's, then go to fresh lime juice and compare.

Many here would agree that Rose's lime juice or Rose's lime cordial is not desirable - I don't think that's an issue. And I wouldn't fault someone for skipping the Rose's entirely and using fresh juice. But for the sake of authenticity, I wouldn't draw that line too solidly.

Ace Ex, that was kind of what I was thinking, and why I asked the question. I mean a Gimlet is not a Gimlet without Rose's right: It doesn't look or taste the same. It also adds variety, there are a billion cocktails with fresh lime juice, but just a few that call specifically for roses.

So I made both, a Suffering Bastard with 1/2 oz Rose's and one with 1/4 oz fresh lime juice+1/4 oz ss. I liked the fresh lime better. I made a 3rd that split the difference: 1/4 oz fresh lime+1/4 oz Rose's. I guess I liked this one the best because you have the fresh lime taste but still sense the tang of the Rose's and at least maintain some of the authenticity.

So brandy or bourbon??

On 2015-04-29 17:29, NuiNui wrote:

So brandy or bourbon??

Yes. and gin.