Welcome! Grab a drink!
all good dinner parties, or any dinner prep for that matter, must start with a good apéritif
Hello! Welcome! Since this newsletter is *basicalllly* like you’re pulling up a bar stool to my kitchen counter and chatting with me, let’s start this thing off with an apéritif!
An apéritif/aperitivo is a drink served before a meal to stimulate your appetite. Typically served on the rocks, as a spritz, or a proper shaken cocktail. Most apéritifs are also low abv, too. But! Before I lose those of you who are sober, don’t like to drink, or are just sober curious, there are so many fun non-alcoholic amari/vermouth like beverages out there nowadays.
Apéritifs use (but not limited too) Amari (herbal liqueurs) and vermouth (fortified wine). I like to enjoy them on the rocks or as a spritz depending on the mood and which liqueur I choose! Amari and vermouth are my favorite spirits for many reasons. But the main one being how complex, herbaceous, citrusy, floral, dry, bitter or sweet, they can be in one single oz. Making them my quick and easy go-to bev when hosting supper clubs, hosting family, and any moment I get those last minute “can I come over?” texts from a friend.
My go-to aperitifs
-On the rocks:
Bordiga Vermouth Bianco with lemon peel. My absolute fave! This vermouth has a base of Piedmontese white wines, and infused with thirty plus different botanicals. It’s complex and bright, with an excellent balance of sweetness and bitterness.
OSCAR.697 Bianco with lemon peel. This vermouth has notes of bergamot which impart a sharp citrus flavour, yarrow muscat for peppery, bitter tannins and elderflower.
Spanish vermut (my favorite is Vermut de Mallorca ‘Te Dic Coses’) with orange slice, green olives, guindillas peppers, and anchovies. An aperitif and pequeños all in one, what more do I need to say?!
-As a spritz:
French apéritif liqueurs like Lillet Blanc, Suze, or Cap Course Mattei Blanc QuinQuina with sparkling wine or tonic water, and lemon peel. (Also love making a white negroni with lillet blanc, suze, and gin as a summer apéritif!) Lillet Blanc is made with Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc grapes, citrus and herbs. Notes are light, crisp, and citrusy. Suze is made with gentian root, so brings more bitterness and a softer citrus tone than Lillet Blanc. Cap Course Mattei Blanc QuinQuina is made with Vermentinu and Muscat grapes infused with many herbs and citrus, but has a main component of cinchona bark (quinine). Giving it notes of zesty lemon, white pepper, and lemongrass.
Americano. 1.5 oz Campari, 1.5 oz sweet vermouth, in a glass with ice and topped with soda water, and orange peel. A classic Italian aperitivo, easy drinking, and perfect balance of bitter and sweet.
An Alex Delany inspired “Lil Ripper” I like to use 2oz of Cynar, Amaro Montenegro, or Nonino, 3 oz soda water, a lemon peel and a green olive. Especially when made with Montenegro, this basically tastes like cola!
DIY your own apéritif
Amaro or vermouth of choice (1.5-2 oz)
Ice
Wine glass (or whatever you got in your bar cart/cabinet)
Bubbly of choice, if you want to make it a spritz (soda water, tonic water, brut, prosecco, champagne )
Garnish: lemon peel twist, orange peel twist, citrus slice (cara cara or blood orange is always fun!)
A playlist for your apéritif hour:
Final Recommendations (all I’ve personal tried, and go back to again, and again)
(Non-alcoholic!) For Bitter For Worse Portland maker (Rose City Fizz is my absolute fave, and The Saskatoon is a great n.a. Negroni alt! )
(Non-alcoholic!) Casamara Club THE drink of the summer, or at least mine…
Total Wine or Bevmo carry the classics, and often your local State/city amari makers products.
Esquin Wine and Spirits in Seattle I cannot recommend enough. Their selection is unmatched. For those outside of Seattle, thankfully they do have an online shop!
Forthave Spirits, NY maker
Faccia Brutto, NY maker
Fast Penny Spirits, Seattle maker
Sennza Finne, Seattle maker
The Rabbit vermouth from Artemis Botanical, by winemaker Ian Thorsen-McCarthy first in CA now in NY. Instagram
Partida Creus MUZ Natural Vermut, Spain
Pianora Wermut Erborista Vermouth, Italy
Amari made by Jayson Kochan, of the restaurant Mezzanotte in Seattle. Get the tasting flight!!
Persephone amaro bar in Seattle, also has small larder selection of wine, amari, and vermouth.
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