Insiders Practice for Italian Beach Day (August 15) with New Starlino Aperativos

(Gerry Furth-Sides) As summer heats up, so does the Italian aperitivo trend with traditional and unconventional twists on cocktails such as the Spritz. We think of it as practice for Italy’s national “Day at the Beach” on August 15.

With gatherings slowly making a safe comeback, there’s no better time to raise a glass and lift the spirits with an aperitivo, a pre-meal drink specifically meant to whet the appetite. But there’s no need for a full meal, in Italy an aperitivo is also enjoyed in the late afternoon with a very snack of a meal, such as the one below.

And if you are Italian or dined with Italians, you know that the preference to start almost any meal is a light Aperitif. There is even a day to honor aperitivos in May.

Packaged in sumptuous, heavy apothecary-style bottles with matching graphics of the Belle Epoch era, the Hotel STARLINO Liqueurs celebrate Italy’s incredible turn of the twentieth century design and architecture, Stile Liberty.  Artisanal, all natural Maraschino Cherries that offer a delightfully sweet and savory flavor.

Rosé Aperitivo is smooth refreshing drink with a strong nose of grapefruit and citrus peel and a delicious, long complex flavor.

Starlino Rosé Spritz 
Ingredients 

• 1 Part Starlino Rosé
• 3 Parts Prosecco
• 1 Part Soda
• Slice of Grapefruit

Serve spritz in a large ice-filled wine glass. Garnish with a grapefruit wedge. It makes for an elegant and easy cocktail, served long and garnished with a citrus peel.

 

Rosso Vermouth (at $25) – classic IGP certified Vermouth di Torino – made from a blend of Italian white wine, Sicilian Ansonica and Cataratto wines, and Marsala wine as well as traditional Italian herbs and spices. To give it a long, rich finish, it is then later aged in Bourbon Barrels for six months.  Delicious on the rocks, in a Negroni or Manhattan.

Starlino Negroni 
Ingredients 

• 1 Part Starlino Rosso
• 1 Part Campari
• 1 Part Gin
• Starlino Maraschino Cherry for garnish

Directions Mix ingredients over ice, pour into an ice-filled rocks glass.  Garnish with an orange peel and a Starlino Maraschino Cherry.

Both liqueurs are available for purchase on the Hotel STARLINO website and are currently available in NY, NJ, CA, IL, CO, RI, CA.

Hotel STARLINO Maraschino Cherries Made near Naples, Italy using natural ingredients, the cherries are matured for two weeks in their natural, sweet and savory Marasca juice and then rested for another two weeks to produce a rich and juicy cherry. Available for purchase on Amazon

The concept of pinpointing the origin aperitifs or using alcohol to motivate moods or hunger is as old as alcohol itself and impossible to document. So the concept of the modern apéritif. Distiller Antonio Benedetto Carpano, who also created one of the first types of vermouth in Turin in 1786, is given credit with inventing it although it may only have been his own ingenious marketing skills. Carpano claimed that his special combination of fortified white wine and various herbs and spices stimulated the appetite and was more suitable for ladies to drink than red wine. It thus became one of the first popular aperitivo drinks.

Starlino’s recipe was made by Denis Muni and Beppe Ronco, who have have worked at Torino Distillati for over 20 years and are natives of the Piedmont Region.  Having spent their careers making Vermouths and Aperitivos, they focused their attention on real innovation for The Hotel Starlino™ Range. 

The two came up with the idea of cask aging the Rosso Vermouth in Bourbon barrels after observing that it imported a deliciously smooth, spicy flavor to the wine.  For the Rosé, for example, the goal was to create a really fresh and natural flavor that mixed with tonic, soda, sparkling wine or was delicious on the rocks.

Re: aperitifs. We were treated to the dry beauty of a champagne, AYALA at the Raymond 1886 recently. Read about it at: //localfoodeater.com/five-to-try-new-ethnic-brunch-dishes-at-the-raymond-1886/