Pink Vermouth
I drink pink wine, then why not pink vermouth? Martini “Rosato” was introduced to the American market last summer. I first encountered it at a vermouth tasting conducted by Carl Sutton of Sutton Cellars held at The Boston Shaker last fall. (My post about that wonderful event may be read here.) The attendees, including myself, were all quite taken with the wine. Yet, it was fall, cooler weather had arrived and drinking this pink vermouth felt out of place for me. Now, warmer weather has finally returned and summery – and pink – libations are again in order.
“Rosato” is a blend of red and white wines, flavored with pomegranate, raspberry, cinnamon and lemon. The experience of drinking it is an adventure for the palate. Initially, the sweet fruit flavors – reminiscent of a popsicle (!) – dominate but give way to the bitterness of the lemon. The acidity is mouth-watering and quite refreshing.
Serve it over ice – neat – or finished with a bit of soda, garnished with a citrus twist. Either way, a perfect aperitif for a hot summer’s day.
As you prepare your home bar for summer, consider adding “Rosato” to your inventory. And, as we do at Wine Dine With Us, “think pink”!
Martini “Rosato” $9.99
available at
Kappy’s 10 Revere Beach Parkway Medford, MA
by glenn on November 1, 2010
foto courtesy of The Boston Shaker
Vermouth has moved out of the shadows of mixology and gained respect both as an ingredient but also as an aperitif. Once upon a time, Carl Sutton realized that he could and would make Vermouth and he did; we are now the beneficiaries of that epiphany. On Oct. 29th, Carl gave a guided tasting of four Vermouths and a deconstructed tasting of his own Sutton Cellars Brown Label Vermouth at The Boston Shaker, the go-to store for both home and industry mixologists – all things “cocktail” can be found at The Boston Shaker. Proprietor Adam Lantheaume passionately spreads the cocktail gospel; we at WDWU sponsored a cocktail class with Adam last winter that was a highlight of our Sunday Night Supper Club series. Carl Sutton is the force behind Sutton Cellars, a small winery located in the Dogpatch of San Francisco, a culinary-rich neighborhood with such denizens as Michael Recchiuti, the noted chocolatier. Carl produces wonderful natural – wild yeast, unfiltered, unfined – wines - his Rattlesnake Rose was one of our featured wines at last summer’s Rose Rountable - and he was in Boston promoting his wines and Vermouth. [click to continue…]
by glenn on September 2, 2010
When i began mixing cocktails at home, I was in a quandary. One of the principal tenets of my culinary training had been an emphasis on quality ingredients – to make a superb dish, begin with the best raw materials. In other words, no silk purses from second-rate pig ears. I was using good, if not excellent, base spirits – no Mr. Boston in my house – but the vermouth that was available to me, as well as to other at-home mixologists, was industrial grade, suitable for powering lawnmowers or flame throwers. (I know I’m exaggerating, but not that much.) And the thought of drinking these vermouths as aperitifs – as some in the craft cocktail movement advocated – was totally unfathomable to me. And then I discovered Vya Vermouths. [click to continue…]
by eleni on April 23, 2010
Americano with a new take on a citrus garnish.
Winston-Salem: Milano-Torino.
Thankfully this isn’t the SAT or the GRE. But if you visit Campari’s site (which incidentally is repeated word for word on Wikipedia’s entry) you will discover the Americano was first called the “Milano-Torino” for Campari which hails from Milan and Cinzano, the vermouth, endemic to Turin.
The drink is straightforward: equal parts Campari and vermouth with a splash of club soda; served on the rocks. Don’t forget the garnish. [click to continue…]
by glenn on April 20, 2010
We Wineaux are an adventurous bunch – with our ears to the ground, always on the look out for the new and worthwhile, ready to go with a trend if we find it appealing. A phenomenon of the Ought Decade, cocktail culture has grown in prominence. Every restaurant and bar now offer a signature – or so they hope – cocktail menu. In our travels, we’ve come to look for either good renditions of cocktails from the past or new twists on these classics. We are fans of Drink, Barbara Lynch’s craft cocktail bar. We’ve attended classes given by Jackson Cannon, head mixologist at Eastern Standard. And we adore – yes, adore – the “Model Behavior” at The Woodward Tavern, a sublime blend of St. Germain, Hendricks gin, Chandon Brut, and cucumber foam. When the opportunity presented itself for Adam Lantheaume, proprietor of The Boston Shaker, to conduct a class for us, it became our SNSC event for April. [click to continue…]
