The hydrophobation of rosmarinic acid with saturated aliphatic primary alcohols of various chain lengths (methanol to eicosanol) was achieved via an acidcatalyzed esterification in the presence of a highly acidic sulfonic resin. The resulting alkyl rosmarinates were isolated, characterized and their global free radical scavenging activity was determined by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl method in the stationary state. Only the dodecyl ester showed a stronger activity than rosmarinic acid.