What is the Rosalita cocktail and where does it come from?

The Rosalita cocktail is a modern tequila highball built for refreshment: spirit-forward enough to feel like a “proper” cocktail, but light, aromatic, and easy to drink thanks to a generous top of non-alcoholic wine. 

Mezcal brings the agave backbone, rosemary simple syrup adds a savory-herbal sweetness, and the wine-style topper lifts the drink with bright acidity and a crisp finish. 

The result is the wonderful “Rosalita Drink” that reads clean and elegant rather than heavy, making it ideal for aperitif moments, long conversations, or any time you want a tequila cocktail that stays lively from first sip to last.

If you’ve searched “rosalita cocktail” before, you may have noticed a common naming trap in the cocktail world: some results describe a Margarita riff made with Amaro Montenegro, while others drift toward similarly named tequila classics. 

This Rosalita is a highball-style signature serve built with Del Maguey Vida Puebla and topped with non-alcoholic wine, designed to be refreshing and aromatic rather than shaken-and-strained or stirred-and-boozy. 

Ingredients for a Rosalita Recipe

This Rosalita uses only a few components, but each one matters. You’ll get a drink that feels complex without needing a long ingredient list.

50 ml / 1.75 parts Del Maguey Vida Puebla  

15 ml / 0.5 part rosemary 1:1 simple syrup  

120 ml / 4 parts non-alcoholic wine (Yamilé)

Steps by step for a great Rosalita Drink

The method is a simple build in the glass, but there’s a small detail that makes the texture better: you stir with only part of the topper first, then ice, then finish with the rest. That gives you dilution control, keeps the aromatics from the rosemary syrup integrated, and helps preserve the “lift” of the wine-style top.

1. Add Del Maguey Vida Puebla and rosemary simple syrup to a highball glass.  
2. Pour in half of the non-alcoholic wine (Yamilé), then stir briefly to combine.  
3. Add ice (preferably solid, clear cubes to slow dilution). Stir once more, gently.  
4. Top with the remaining Yamilé. Give the drink a final light stir just to unify the layers without knocking out freshness.  
5. Garnish with rosemary leaves. Serve without a straw.
   
   

Pro top for better consistency: measure everything. With highball cocktails, a few milliliters either way can swing the balance noticeably, especially with aromatics like rosemary syrup. 

If your non-alcoholic wine is particularly acidic, keep the syrup exact; if it’s rounder and softer, you can very slightly reduce the top or increase the syrup in tiny increments to maintain clarity.

If you want to discover more recipes, you can explore our Del Maguey’s full collection of cocktails.

Tips that will elevate your Rosalita game

Balance is the whole game here, and you can dial it in with small, user-friendly adjustments. If the drink tastes too dry or sharp, the fix is usually a touch more rosemary syrup rather than more tequila. 

If it tastes too sweet or heavy, reduce the syrup by a small amount or add a bit more ice and a short stir to increase dilution. Because the build includes a large non-alcoholic wine component, dilution and temperature have a bigger impact than people expect.

Choose your ice with intention. Big, dense cubes keep the Rosalita crisp and let the rosemary aroma stay defined over time. Small or wet ice will dilute quickly and can flatten the wine’s structure, turning the finish watery. 

Also, treat the rosemary garnish as more than decoration: slap the rosemary lightly between your palms before adding it to wake up the oils, then keep it as a “nose garnish” right at the rim so the first smell matches the first sip.

Creative variations you can try

The safest way to vary this cocktail is to adjust the tequila style, tweak the sweetener’s flavor profile, or lightly reshape the acidity. Keep the same overall architecture: 

1. Tequila base, 
2. Structured sweetness, 
3. Large-format wine-style top.
   
   

Tequila style variation (crisper vs rounder):

You can test tequila reposado for a softer, oak-kissed finish or a cleaner tequila style for a brighter edge. If you switch to reposado, consider reducing syrup slightly so the drink doesn’t feel too rich. If you use a brighter, more peppery tequila, the rosemary becomes more aromatic and the drink reads sharper and more refreshing.

Sweetener variation (rosemary to agave): 

If you want a more classic agave-forward sweetness, you can replace the rosemary syrup with agave syrup / agave nectar at a smaller dose, then add a tiny rosemary garnish to keep the signature aroma. This gives you an “agave highball” direction while staying aligned with the Rosalita structure.

Acidity and “Margarita riff” nod (optional, not the base recipe): 

For those who seek a margarita or mezcalita riff profile, you can offer a version that adds a small amount of fresh lime juice while slightly reducing the non-alcoholic wine to preserve balance. 

Salt technique variation (advanced garnish): 

if you want a subtle salinity without a messy rim, you can use a tiny amount of saline solution instead of a full salted rim. This is a bartender-style trick that can brighten the wine topper and make the rosemary feel more vivid. This is absolutely optional.

The soul of the Rosalita: maguey at its core

The soul of this Rosalita cocktail begins in the maguey. Every sip carries the character of the agave plant, shaped by sun, soil, altitude, and time. Unlike neutral spirits, tequila made from maguey expresses place: earthy sweetness, green herbal notes, and a natural tension between brightness and depth. 

In this serve, that agave core is not hidden or overpowered. Instead, it is allowed to lead, setting the structure of the drink and giving it a clear, honest identity.

Del Maguey amplifies that connection to the maguey by delivering a profile that feels vibrant and grounded at the same time. 

The result is a Rosalita that doesn’t rely on excess sweetness or heavy modifiers. It celebrates the raw el