AperitivO'Clock: 3 Rhubarb Cocktails
summer, is that you?
I consider myself a bon vivant. I travel often, throw parties for a living, and socializing with friends makes me feel more alive. As single woman and business owner without the responsibility of children, and the daily stressors of being an entrepreneur – I’ve never felt more conviction on the topic of life: it’s to be enjoyed. I like to celebrate wins and losses over food & drink. Europeans do this well; times of relaxed food & drink with friends are built into their daily life. We here in America love to work, and love even more to complain about it.
Back to the topic: aperitivo. I often need to remind myself of this: not every invitation to friends needs to come with a dinner plan. Taking a cue from our pals across the pond in Europe, aperitivo is defined by the ritual of catching up with friends over drinks and small bites, and the time of day. So here’s three new seasonal recipes ranging from spirit forward cocktails to a refreshing spritz.
Rhubarb season is short and most often we find it in desserts because it’s intensely bitter and tannic and therefore needs to be balanced with sugar. By infusing Cocchi Americano an Italian Aperitif wine with the rhubarb it becomes an seasonal swap where one would use dry or blanc vermouth. Cocci Americano is always stocked in my house, I love to sip it over ice, make a Bianco Negroni or Spritz with it.
These two articles I wrote are helpful to reference back to: HERE is everything you need for your home bar. HERE are some more recipes and useful information on cocktail making.
Rhubarb Infused Cocci Americano
1 bottle Cocci Americano Bianco
3 stalks Rhubarb
Pour the Cocci Americano into a larger container with a wide mouth (I like these bins for pre-batching cocktails and making infusions). Slice the rhubarb stalks into 1-2 inch cubes and soak them in the bin with the Cocci Americano for at least 24hrs and up to 2 days. Strain the liquid and discard the rhubarb. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.