In my former life I worked behind bars, in cellars and in kitchens so it’s no surprise I love shooting food and beverage images. Also, with that time in the F&B industry I got to eat and drink some of the best in the world. This exploration carried on in F&B photography, but runs the gamut from the phenomenal to the maybe not so much. This one is absolutely delicious. Madame Roselle is a hibiscus aperitif handcrafted in Hanoi that drinks like a floral, slightly spicy vermouth. Fantastically balanced and lends it self to so many applications. We got to riff on stirred boozy drinks like Manhattans and Negronis as well as mixing it with soda and serving it tall as a low alcohol tipple. With its floral notes, it gave a dynamic extra depth to sours and little fizzes too. Needless to say, I loved the challenge of matching the aesthetic to the varied uses for this really cool product. Check it out if you can get your hands on it!
![Madame Roselle Splashes out its bottle. Image by Food and Beverage Photographer Lee Starnes in Saigon, Vietnam.](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c25cb4d710699ff93e96f06/1652934226919-URGKLEIFRHT30A5ILNXV/LeeStarnes.May+16+2022.roselle.0011.web.jpg)
![A riff of a manhattan using Madame Roselle instead of the traditional sweet vermouth. Image by Vietnam Cocktail Photographer Lee Starnes](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c25cb4d710699ff93e96f06/1652934229295-GG066B54IYJWRX6GT66U/Madame+Roselle.LeeStarnes0030.web.jpg)
![Madame Roselle version of the classic negroni. Image by Ho Chi Minh City beverage photographer Lee Starnes](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c25cb4d710699ff93e96f06/1652934230544-M4YRSIP9VACPXLEHSSBE/Madame+Roselle.LeeStarnes1491+2.web.jpg)
![Madame Roselle product photography by Vietnam product photographer Lee Starnes](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c25cb4d710699ff93e96f06/1652934236090-OBWIC8CQ7UYAN3HAO3FG/Madame+Roselle.LeeStarnes3160.web.jpg)
![Madame Roselle and hibiscus sour. Cocktail shot by Vietnam Beverage Photographer Lee Starnes](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c25cb4d710699ff93e96f06/1652934228735-00V2BK39777DAM80H9TZ/LeeStarnes.May+17+2022.roselle.0042.web.jpg)
![Flat lay of Madame Roselle with some of the ingredients within the recipe. Shot by Vietnam Product photographer Lee Starnes](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c25cb4d710699ff93e96f06/1652934238251-32ORUKF8GZDMN1SEA8QW/Madame+Roselle.LeeStarnes4236.web.jpg)
![Madame Roselle mixed with tonic water by Vietnam Cocktail Photographer Lee Starnes](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c25cb4d710699ff93e96f06/1652934239210-V81HKYF9IO9E9VJ4T9A2/Madame+Roselle.LeeStarnes8465.web.jpg)