Aperitivo is a sacred time for Italians. Particularly in Venice where people mingle outside bacari (bars) lining the canals to savour down time and bask in the soft evening light. Derived from the Latin aperire (to open), an aperitivo usually comprises a spritz or cool glass of white or red wine and in Venice is often paired with several plates of traditional cicchetti – snacks such as fried calamari, grilled polenta bites and long pieces of toasted bread topped with local meats and cheeses.
This dolce vita hour is woven into the city’s history, of which Select Aperitivo played a seminal role. Founded in 1920 by the young Pilla Brothers, the liquor quickly became the star of the Venetian cocktail scene and the distillery itself contributed to the city’s post-war rejuvenation. With its potent mixture of 30 botanicals including juniper berries and rhubarb roots, Select Aperitivo remains the key ingredient of an authentic Venetian Spritz today.
In this video, Facundo Gallegos, the bar manager at The St Regis hotel in Venice, teaches us how to make the original Venetian Spritz using Select Aperitivo. There is an art to it, but with only four key ingredients it’s simple to make and recreate the glamour of an Italian aperitivo anywhere in the world.
METHOD
- Pour 3 parts cold prosecco into a wine glass over ice
- Add 3 parts Select Aperitivo
- Add a splash of soda water and gently stir together
- Garnish with a large green olive and enjoy in good company
*Over-18s only. Please enjoy Select Aperitivo responsibly.
Select Aperitivo from £16.75. Select can be purchased in the UK through a number of stockists including Ocado, The Whisky Exchange, Master of Malt, Amazon, Drinkfinder, The Drink Shop, Hedonism and Latitude Wine. Selectaperitivo.it
Source link
