Glassware: Collins Glass
Ingredients:
1 oz. Cappelletti
.5 oz. Dolin Rouge
.5 oz. Cynar
2 dashes Regan’s Orange Bitters
4 oz. Club Soda
Garnish: Lemon Wheel
Directions: Build over ice in a Collins glass. After adding club soda, use a stirring spoon to mix the ingredients. Stir until the color of the drink is even top to bottom. Garnish, Serve and Enjoy!
Flavor Profile: This drink stretches the line between bitter and refreshing. The Cappelletti is a traditional Aperitivo: orange in flavor, rose in color, with bright tones of bitterness paired with sweetness (due to the sugar level). Cynar is bitter Amaro and is more of a traditional after-dinner drink. Rouge Vermouth adds texture and rounds out the sweetness from the Cappelletti and the Cynar. The Orange bitters reinforce a crisp pop to the drink that helps the finish stand out. The Club Soda becomes key as it lightens all the flavors and keeps this beverage as a very easy sipper.
Background: This drink is themed from the traditional Americano, a true classic cocktail that has lived through the ages. Cappelletti and Cynar replace Campari here, both being a little bit sweeter and fuller in texture with bolder flavors—this tampers bitterness. Using straightforward rouge vermouth, such as Dolin, doesn’t mask the flavors of herbs and roots brought forth by the digestives. The carbonation and lack of sugar from the mixer play a key part here, as it does in a traditional Americano. It keeps the drink light. This drink is made to be had with food or before food. It is light and bright, and the digestive aspect of the ingredients (the bitterness) helps to clear the stomach and feel better no matter the occasion. It’s great paired with fried foods as well. For a drink made to pair with food, this is a starting course…it is a classic drink using classic ingredients but is created with a modern twist. Raise a glass of “Preamble” and pair it with an exceptional meal.
