Cocktails
This month our resident drinks expert Miriam Nice showcases a new spritz with crème de cassis as well as three summer cocktail ideas, plus head chef Masha Rener of Lina Stores gives her top tips for aperitivo time
EXPERT ADVICE APERITIVI
Head chef of deli and restaurant group Lina Stores, Masha Rener gives us some insight into all things aperitivo – and the lowdown on amaro.
1 WHAT IS AN APERITIVO?
An aperitivo is usually an alcoholic beverage (but can also be non-alcoholic), generally served before a meal to stimulate the appetite, and is therefore usually dry rather than sweet.
2 WHAT MAKES A GOOD PRE DINNER DRINK?
The key to a perfect pre-dinner drink is having the right balance between the ingredients used to create it. Aperitivi such as Campari, dry vermouth and gin tend to be bitter to wake up the palate and digestive system making them ready for the meal ahead.
3 WHAT EXACTLY IS AMARO?
Amaro is traditionally made by infusing grape brandy with a mix of herbs, aromatic bark, citrus peel and spices. The exact ingredients and volumes used within this mix are usually kept a secret and can vary from producer to producer. The mix is then sweetened with sugar syrup and aged, sometimes for years. A lot of them are also infused in high-percentage alcohol and mixed with syrup after a certain time of infusion.
4 WHICH COCKTAILS USING AMARO CAN I EASILY MAKE AT HOME?
One of the easiest cocktails to make at home, and a very popular one around the world, is the classic Aperol spritz, which can easily be adapted by switching up the type of amaro used to make the drink, instead of using Aperol. For example, it could be Cynar (see tip, opposite), Montenegro, Amaro del Capo, etc. We would recommend reducing the content of the amaro by half as the ones named are more bitter than Aperol.