BOTTOMS UP!
HOW TO
HOW TO CREATE WINE COCKTAILS
Photos courtesy of Tesse Restaurant
WHEN YOU THINK OF WINE, YOU OFTEN THINK OF JUST POURING A GLASS AND CALLING IT A DAY. HOWEVER, WINE MAKES A BRILLIANT BASE IN MANY COCKTAILS. BALANCING WINE’S FLAVOR PROFILE IN COCKTAILS IS SIMILAR TO MIXING WITH SPIRITS. BARTENDER KINGSTON CHAN HAS PERFECTED USING WINE IN COCKTAILS THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER. “BY UNDERSTANDING THE CULTURE OF WINE, IT’S MADE ME AN EXTREMELY BETTER BARTENDER WHO ISN’T AFRAID TO PUSH THE LIMITS.”
W
anting to break wine’s just-for-sipping image, Chan notes, “Wine comes from unique grape or fruit varietals from all over the world, and each esoteric ingredient brings something exciting to the craft cocktail realm for us to ponder upon.” Wine will always have a sophistication about it, but after all, it’s far too complex and versatile to drink simply on its own. Check out these easy tips to include wine in your next cocktail.
STEP 1
STEP 2
CHOOSE YOUR WINE. Red and orange wines have a similar bitter taste to black tea, while white wines are naturally tart and floral. Sparkling wines give an overall fun vibe and offer a fizzy sensation to the cocktail. Aperitivo’s bring a unique distillation process and can enhance the drinking experience. Consider your other ingredients, then choose a wine that will complement these flavors.
PAIR YOUR FLAVORS. “I remind myself constantly that wine nuances pair nicely with other sensory tastes, such as floral, umami, sweet, pungency, spices, bitterness, creamy, etc.” Getting to know the terroir, culture, and history behind the wine you’re using will help you decide what to use and how to use it. Adding sparkling, still, dry, or sweet wine to your drink adds a new layer of complexity.
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CHILLED MAGAZINE
STEP 3
BUILD YOUR COCKTAIL. From a base to a float or even a syrup, wine in cocktails brings that extra something. Plus, it’s no secret that beautiful cocktails tend to be eye-catchers, so get creative with the appearance. “Layered wine cocktails are so gorgeous in both live dining presentations and are appealing for both social media and marketing purposes.”
