I don't know about you guys, but when the hot weather hits, I immediately turn to refreshing drinks. The spritz, and the gin & tonic become a regular occurrence in our household, nexty to rosé and crisp whites of course.
What I love about the spritz, is that while in Italy it is traditionally a drink made with bitter amaro like Campari or Aperol and sparkling wine, it has sort of morphed into a general category of sparkling wine drinks mixed with your favorite things, at least to me it has. So i often go out an explore different options.
One ingredient that is pretty much front and center for me all summer is Pampelmouse liqueur from Giffard. Giffard is a french owned company that has ben around since the 1800s, specializing in high quality liqueurs and syrups made with real ingredients. They make a wide array of liqueurs, but i can not resist the Pink grapefruit, Pampelmousse. I use it as a topper for our gin and tonics, and I use it in our spritzes as well to make everything just extra delicious.
Recently at home I have experimented with a new 'spritz" and it has stuck with me. Here's the simple recipe.- Fill a wine glass or any favorite glass with ice
- Give yourself a nice 5-6 oz pour of a good but inexpensive sparkling wine. I prefer a high quality Prosecco--our go-to is Da Mar. it is not overtly sweet, but rather fruity and adds a sense of sweetness to the base of the spritz. We also love Cui Cui, Arnaud Lambert Cremant de Loire, and Azimut cava for those that prefer drier options.
- Top, to taste, Giffard's Pampelmousse liqueur. I usually end up adding 2 ounces or so depending on how much sweetness and grapefruit flavor i want.
- lastly, this is optional, but i have been enjoying topping it with a good splash of Fever Tree's eldeflower tonic water as well
So call this is a spritz, a spritzer, or just some fun sparkling wine cocktail. But its a favorite.
I also wanted to highlight a couple of favorite gins of mine. The gin market has EXPLODED recently, and there are so many amazing ones being made around the world.
My go to recently has been Song Cai from Vietnam- the country's first ever gin distillery that uses up to 16 different local ingredients from their local lands including spices, fruits, flowers, and herbs. I love this gin, both the regular dry and the floral versions. It just makes the gin and tonic pop! One of the best and most delicious gin values i have found recently is from Jin Jiji in india. This gin is aromatic, expressive, crisp, and smooth. They use wild juniper, the fragrant Tulsi leaf, and the wildly aromatic Chamomile flower to make this gin. Its such a good gin for the money. A few other favorites are the elusive gins from Japan's Kyoto distillery--if you want an amazingly pure, aromatic gin, don't look any further. While they are not cheap, they are amazing, and the green tea version is so unique. This is gin made with the only the finest Japanese standards from the purest water in japan's Kyoto prefecture. I also love Brooklyn's Greenhook Ginsmith's dry gin- one of the most fantastic, local, American made gins. Hapusa Himalayan dry gin from India utilizes turmeric and mango in their distillation and it is fantastic.
I've curated a fun little section for my favorite spritz and gin and tonic ingredients here, from red bitters to fruit liqueurs, gins to sparkling wines. Have fun shopping! The cool thing is, it is your world, and you can do what you want!
Click here for our list of favorite Spritz ingredients and gins mentioned above!
For a full list of our gins available, click here!
For a full list of sparkling wines & champagnes available, click here!
For a list of liqueurs, amaros, and all types of fun stuff available, click here!
Lots of these options are in stock now, with all other items available next week. Shipping and pickup available! Feel free to call or email us with any questions. 607-319-0500.
Have a great weekend! |
