Aperitivi Archive

« Older Entries

Cappelletti and What Time Is Midnight Mass?

Posted December 20, 2015 By Adri

A Vino Aperitivo for the Season


Midnight Mass


It’s early on Christmas Eve when the phone rings in the parish office, and the caller asks “What time is Midnight Mass?” Honest. Every year at parishes around the world inquiring minds want to know. A friend who was a parish administrator herself said that she fielded dozens of such calls every Christmas. We all chuckled at the goofy question. And every Christmas Eve morning I called my friend at work, put on my silliest, most heavily accented voice and asked the very same question. I could hear the hesitation in her voice while she figured it out, and then she replied “And Merry Christmas to you too, Miss Adri.” It was our very own Christmas greeting.

But Christmas Eve Midnight mass presents its own logistical problems. What do you serve before Mass? We’ve eaten a big feast just hours before, but by the time 10 PM rolls around, as the rest of the relatives arrive for a visit and the drive to the family parish, everyone is ready for “a little something” to tide us over. Somehow when I think of Mass, and what to drink, I think of Italian vermouth – served straight up in a pretty etched glass. But it is Christmas, and that should have you seeing and serving red, the festive kind, crimson with citrus and herbal notes. I know. You think I am talking about Campari, or perhaps Aperol. Nope. Allow me to introduce you to Cappelletti. It’s not the Bridge convention, nor is it Modena’s famous pasta, the “little hats” bathed in capon broth so popular at this time of year. Read more… »

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
48 Comments so far. Join the Conversation
Filed in Aperitivi, Christmas Gifts, Cocktail, Dessert, Recipes | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Coppette alla Crema di Ricotta

Posted December 27, 2014 By Adri


Coppette alla Crema di Ricotta
Got Panettone? If you have Italian friends, then I bet your answer is a resounding yes because some of those friends must have given you some panettone as a Christmas gift. As good as it is right out of its pretty box, or toasted with a bit of butter at breakfast time, at my house there are always entire loaves that remain unopened once Christmas is over. Read more… »

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
101 Comments so far. Join the Conversation
Filed in Aperitivi, Dessert, Musings, Panna Cotta Diaries, Recipes | Tagged: , , ,

Cocchi Americano Rosa

Posted March 28, 2013 By Adri


Cocchi Americano Rosa CU


One of my favorite Italian aperitif wines is back, and this time she’s in red. Meet Cocchi Americano Rosa.



Cocchi Americano Rosa Bottle



You might remember my earlier post on the classic Cocchi Americano Bianco, an aperitif wine made from Moscato d’Asti. Over its more than one hundred year history The House of Cocchi has occasionally produced variations on that classic theme. Cocchi Americano Rosa, made of naturally aromatic red varietals from Piemonte is their newest.



There aren’t many bottles here in the U.S. right now, but that will soon change as it becomes available on the world market – a launch Cocchi has planned for June of this year. Good thing too, because that means Cocchi Rosa will arrive in time for summer. Its notes of white roses, cherries and summer berries are masterfully blended with citrus, herbs, fruit and spices. Make no mistake though, this is no “girlie drink.” The luxurious mouthfeel, earthy vegetal notes of gentian and cinchona complement the fruit, floral and spice notes. A distinct peppery warmth of pink grapefruit lends a complexity that will keep you sipping and sipping.



If you are curious about “bitters,” but find that even Aperol is too much for you, try this. The bitter element while present, leans toward the subtle, just enough to balance the sweetness and fruit of the wine.



Cocchi recommends serving this over ice with soda and a lemon wheel or mixed with Prosecco to start. From there I suggest you experiment with other aperitivi such Aperol and Campari or spirits such as vodka, gin, grappa, Acqua di cedro, or my favorite, Solerno, a Sicilian blood orange and lemon liquor. No doubt about it, this will be the go to drink in our home in the warm summer months to come. In case you were wondering about that garnet color you see, it is 100% natural. Read more… »

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
24 Comments so far. Join the Conversation
Filed in Aperitivi, Beverages, Reviews | Tagged: , , , , ,

Cynar – Acquire the Taste

Posted November 28, 2012 By Adri

The Cyn-Cin AKA the Cin-Cyn

Cynar-Drink-CU-640x350-3615_883

 

Cynar-Bottle-241x640-3588_879


Who said artichoke season was over? Well who ever it was doesn’t know about Cynar (chee-NAHR.) Yes, it’s back to bitters with Adri. As much as I enjoy a sweet fruity little something, amaro centric drinks or an amaro consumed neat are satisfying, and so complex, they are on my Desert Island List.



The holidays are here, and with all the feasting, you’ll be looking for something to relieve that feeling of having overdone it at the table. The answer – Italy’s amari. The deal with amari however, is it often takes some coaxing to induce people to give them a go. Cynar, in spite of having probably the coolest label ever, was particularly rough. I mean who wants to dive into a 33 proof something made of artichokes?



The first thing I heard was “May have choked Artie, but it ain’t gonna choke me.” Everyone’s a comedian, I thought. I had to remind my guests how much they enjoyed the amari I have served over the last year. “And this is artichokes plus 12 other herbals and botanicals.” I said. “It will help your digestion.” And then I added, “It was invented in 1952 – the same year I was born.” That last bit may have taken it too far, but once the tasting began, I heard things like tobacco, herbal, green and woody, bittersweet and finally, “I like it.” Mission accomplished.



In the ongoing spirit of my articles on starts and finishes for the holidays, Cynar is also a great aperitivo, and at 33 proof, a good deal lower in alcohol than many other amari – l’amaro vero ma leggero – an authentic amaro, but light, just like the company’s ad says. Drink it neat, straight up or over ice with soda or tonic and a bit of orange or in cocktails such as Art of the Choke, Choke Your Mother, Little Italy or my favorite, Cyn-Cin (alternate spelling Cin-Cyn), a contemporary take on Italy’s famous Negroni. I think of it as Son of Negroni. Read more… »

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
18 Comments so far. Join the Conversation
Filed in Aperitivi, Beverages, Musings | Tagged: , , , , , , , , ,

Zucca – The Mezzo Piano

Posted May 18, 2012 By Adri

Zucca-label-640x279-1241b_704


Zucca-Mezzo-Piano-235-640-1242_701Think hip, very hip and wearing Prada or Dolce & Gabbana, maybe Armani. Now add Milano’s famous bar Camparino (formerly known as Zucca in Galleria and birthplace, by the way, of the famous Americano cocktail.) Enter the bar to see patrons partaking of Zucca. Zucca is Italian for pumpkin, but this is no vegetable smoothie. It is Rabarbaro Zucca, an amaro, whose principal and most noteworthy ingredient, the ingredient that puts it squarely in the spotlight, is Chinese rhubarb. This complex libation was invented in 1845 by Ettore Zucca, and has been at the top of its category ever since. It is manufactured today by I.L.L.V.A. Saronno, of Disaronno Originale (amaretto) fame. New to our shores, Zucca is becoming a favorite of envelope pushing barmen and mixologists across the U.S. as the bitter component in many new cocktails. Zucca is hot.

I have written about amari before, and I admit that I occasionally still get “the look” when I lift an unfamiliar bottle from the liquor cabinet. A napkin quietly brought to the edge of a guest’s mouth, a slight downward tip of the head coupled with a quiet sidelong glance. You see, many in the U.S. still view amari as “the other.” However, change is coming as more companies import their products. That can only be good news for those of us who imbibe. And for our digestion as well. Read more… »

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
4 Comments so far. Join the Conversation
Filed in Aperitivi, Beverages | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Punch Abruzzo

Posted January 5, 2012 By Adri

Punch Abruzzo – The secret ingredient in my Caffe, Cioccolata and Tiramisu
 
una bevanda che fa cambà cent’anni e cente mise – a drink that will let you live a hundred years and a hundred months


Punch Abruzzo



Abruzzo Poster02


OK. Mayors do lots of wonderful things for towns. Chief administrators, they look out for the well being of their citizens, perform good works – everything from planting trees to visiting the needy and serving Thanksgiving meals. But one Mayor, Sig. Antonio Evangelista of the small town of Borrello in the province of Chieti (in southeastern Abruzzo) performed magic. To stave off the winter cold he decocted spirits, herbs and spices to come up with Punch Abruzzo, a most magnificent liquore. The mayor made it in his home fireplace, and apparently it caused quite a stir in the town, inciting all kinds of curiosity in the townsfolk.




Punch Abruzzo Label


Over time he refined his creation, making it for friends and fellow citizens, and in 1907 he named it Punch Abruzzo. Closely guarded, the formula has been handed down from father to son, and now the third generation of Evangelista produces Punch Abruzzo according to his grandfather’s proprietary formula, having moved the firm to Sambuceto (CH).

Punch Abruzzo has won much acclaim, and now on little cat feet it has quietly made its way to us. Expect to hear much more about this masterly infusion over the coming year as the importer rolls it out across America. Today’s enterprising mixologists will no doubt make hay with this one in long drinks and cocktails. I can’t wait. Read more… »

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
10 Comments so far. Join the Conversation
Filed in Aperitivi, Beverages, Cocktail, Dessert, History, Recipes | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
« Older Entries
Content Protected