Abstract The hydrophobation of rosmarinic acid with saturated aliphatic primary alcohols of various chain lengths (methanol to eicosanol) was achieved via an acid‐catalyzed 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.