SPIRITS

LONG

WEEKEND drinks

BY MICHELLE P.E. HUNT & LAURA PANTER PHOTOGRAPHY BY JAMES TSE

FLAVOURFUL COCKTAILS THAT ARE LIGHT ON ALCOHOL LET YOU KICK BACK AND ENJOY LATE SUMMER AFTERNOONS WITHOUT OVERDOING IT.

One of the biggest drink trends emerging for 2017 is a loweralcohol cocktail option. Ideal for sunny afternoons, these refreshers are a great way to enjoy cocktails that are light, fresh and delicious.

Often they’re made with flavourful products called aperitivos, a term that describes bitter and herbaceous liquors but can also include sake, sherry, vermouths and even wine varietals, which are combined with fruit juices and sodas to create a wonderful variety of new drinks that are lighter than our traditional summer sippers.

We have used classic products and some brand new offerings to craft unique and delicious cocktails that will delight your guests: perfect for an afternoon on the patio.

LUXARDO BITTER BIANCO LCBO 495747, $23.95

This new entry to our market is a classic spirit from one of Italy’s oldest distillers. Bitter Bianco is a clear liquid with a perfectly balanced palate of bitter herbs, citrus notes and a sweet fnish, and it can be used to create everything from a lighter-style version of a Negroni to a clear and simple spritz. We utilize the unique notes to enhance our Italian Paloma, with ruby red grapefruit, agave and lime.

Italian Paloma

CAPO CAPO APERITIVO ROSSO

LCBO 493221, $24.95

Another new, smartly packaged liquid, often described as midway between Campari and Aperol— less bitter than the former, less sweet than the latter—but we love the rich notes of rhubarb and hints of cinnamon that make this product unique and lovely. Combined with lemon, orange and cranberry juices, our Capo Punch is richly hued, luxuriously delicious, and can be made in a pitcher in advance for easy service to your guests.

Capo Punch

recipe on page 144

AMARO MONTENEGRO VINTAGES 601484, $26.00

The word amaro, in Italian, means “bitter,” and applies to a whole myriad of spirits. Typically drunk after dinner, these digestifs can vary in alcohol content, sugar content and, most of all, favour. Each producer creates its product with a secret blend of herbs, spices and aromatics, for a unique and delicious ofering. We used one of our favourites here, with its lovely notes of vanilla and orange peel, for a wonderfully layered, complex yet utterly drinkable cooler.

WEEKEND IN MONTENEGRO

recipe on page 144