A drink to enjoy inside, while fantasizing about being outside
Like most of you, I've been inside for like a month or so. We are all home to help, so firstly we can do it and we can also make it fun!
It's been weird time to say the least, but I think we have all come to appreciate the small things in life much more than we used to.
One important factor in my life that has always kept me going, no matter how crazy the times are is cocktail time. Cocktail time has always been an important factor in my entertaining life. Still to this day in our household, we start family meal with a cocktail. In my family, once you sit down you are usually offered a drink.
Some people may think that this is kind of overboard, but the truth is when you are brought up in aperitif and cocktail culture, you learn to appreciate alcohol, rather than abuse it. I learned a lot from my grandparent's liquor cabinet and how to appreciate good wine from family dinners as well.
With all that being said, I came up with this lil ditty the other day. I call this pretty thing Via Aprile. It's named after the street I used to live on in Italy. It's got a bunch of the classic Italian aperitifs mixed up together in it, plus a few other cute things, so it's an "Italian Style" cocktail.
The liquors by themselves are sometimes a bit much and may take a certain palate to get used to, but that's why I added Sherry and Honey to balance out the bitter.
When you have a good drink before you eat a big meal, it opens your palate and excites it for what is left to come afterwards. I find it also helps you relax a bit and take the edge off a bit, so you can get in the mood to chat and mingle with other people you are around. You can enjoy it with some charcuterie and cheeses or just by itself on a sunny day
*You will need a bar shaker, ice, and a shot glass to measure all you ingredients. I also make sure the glass is chilled before I pour the drink into it. You can do this, by putting it in the fridge before you need it or you can simply put a bunch of ice in it before you start making the drink and once the drink it mixed, get rid of the ice and pour the drink in the glass.
Let me know what you guys think! Cheers!
Via Aprile
1 oz Campari
1/2 oz White Vermouth
1 oz Amaro
1 oz Fino Sherry
1 oz Lemon Juice
1 oz Liquid Honey
1 Egg white
1 long strip of lemon or orange peel
-Using a shot glass to measure, pour all ingredients into a cocktail shaker
-Mix it all well with a spoon or cocktail spoon to ensure that the honey is dissolved
-Place the top on and shake vigorously for 30 seconds
-Add lots of ice to shaker and shake for another 30 seconds
-Take the cap off the top of the shaker and pour the liquid into a chilled glass
-Fold the piece of citrus in half and make a small cut in the middle
-Rub the rim with a piece of citrus peel and place it on the rim to garnish
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