Blooming BOTANICALS
As summer arrives, mixologists and bartenders alike will be reaching for the light, floral notes of aperitifs, including one steeped in the traditions of a British summer. By Aperitif / əˌpɛrɪˈtiːf/ French; noun; An alcoholic drink taken before a meal to
Manhattans and rum Old Fashioneds are all well and good during those chilly eves of winter, but come the summer months, many sippers will be reaching for something tall and cold, and potentially less potent. That’s where the aperitif comes in. Although people have been tinkering with herbal macerations since the Egyptian pharaohs, the modern wine-based aperitif was born in France and Italy in the mid-1800s. Aperitivo in Italy and aperitif in France, these lighter, bittersweet tipples were just the ticket to opening the palate in preparation for a meal.
Zip forward to the 21st century and a very British incarnation of those traditional bittersweet characteristics. Kamm & Sons, created by sculptor-turnedbartender, author and drinks consultant Alex Kammerling, is the poster boy of a new movement towards innovative, complex spirit-based aperitifs that are getting the creative juices of bartenders and consumers flowing. Based on England’s love affair with gin (and realised after over 100 experimental tinctures), Kamm & Sons has a lower alcohol by volume and a unique bitter kick that lends itself ideally to tall Collins-style cocktails. With floral and citrus notes delivered by a total of 45 natural botanicals – which include ginseng (the company makes a separate ginseng spirit that’s a little more curious), fresh grapefruit, wormwood, juniper, genitan and manuka honey - Kamm & Sons is also the perfect mixing aperitif.
Juice it up with a dash of gin or vodka, then smooth it out with a drop of elderflower syrup, fresh passionfruit or pink grapefruit, or even a good tonic water or bitter lemon like Fever Tree. Kamm & Sons adds new complexity to a Tom Collins or even a traditional gin martini, and tastes great served over ice with a twist and a few massaged mint leaves. www.kammandsons.com