Spain’s Most Popular Liqueur

                                                       43 adds a complex vanilla flavor
 

Little known in the US, “Licor 43” (simply Cuarenta y Tres to Spanish speakers) is the most sought after liqueur in its native Spain.  Named after the forty-three ingredients from which it's made, 43 Licor is a well-kept secret recipe of the family who has been making it for nearly eighty years.

I first encountered 43 on the island of Mallorca when I was served a decadent glass of white sangria at an upscale restaurant/hotel.  There was a definite something different, something quite wonderful that I couldn’t put my finger on…and it wasn’t the sparkling white wine from which it was made.   Fortunately, I was able to learn the recipe from the bartender:  Cava, sparkling lemonade and 43!   The Bartender couldn't believe I had never heard 43 and showed me the bottle.

                                       Summer is the perfect time for serving white 43 sangria

When exiting Spain I made sure to stop at the Duty Free to purchase a bottle to take home.  The display of 43 was gigantic, by far the largest in the entire store overflowing with every name-brand liquor.   I was dumbfounded that I had never heard of it in spite of  more than thirty trips to Spain.  

Upon returning back to the US my first sip of the liqueur I discovered what makes 43 so compelling.  In its virginal state, it was a vanilla bomb laced with many complexities.  It reminded me of a relative of Italian Tuaca & Galliano, both vanilla laden liqueurs.  But, 43 had so many layers:  cinnamon, orange peel & savory.  Now, I could understand why that first white Sangria had me at “Hola!”

                            White 43 Sangria is also a hit at Christmas with oranges & pomegranates

I  have made lots of this white Sangria after that trip to Mallorca. When I had almost finished the bottle of 43 I began to panic and wondered if I could get it shipped from Spain.  I Googled it and happily found that all the big liquor stores in the US carry it (e.g. Total Wine & BevMo).   Perfecto!

 

White Sangria recipe:

 Wine-Knows: Fine Wine & Gourmet Food Journeys for the Discerning Traveler: White, Red & Blue Sangria (wineknowstravel.blogspot.com)

Limoncello Spitz

                           Thyme & blueberries add the perfect note to this summer spritz

This is the second article in July on summer cocktails.   Summer is here and with it comes a profusion of lemons & blueberries, as well as a garden full of thyme in our San Diego area home.  My thought is when life serves you up a bounty of lemons, why not make limoncello?   So, that’s exactly what I did.   If you don’t wish to make the ever-so-easy limoncello (recipes online), buy a bottle and make yourself a cooling summer spritz as follows.

 

Serves 5-6

Add the following to a glass pitcher and stir:

    ~ 1 bottle cold Prosecco

    ~ 1 cup limoncello (from the freezer)

    ~ ½ - 1 cup cold sparkling water (start with ½ cup & taste)

 

Fill clear glasses with ice (so that guests can see the beautiful colors), then pour in the contents of the above mixture.  Garnish with blueberries, sprigs of thyme (or basil), and thin slices of lemon.   If you really want to have a show-stopper and you own a dehydrator, add a dehydrated slice of lemon (dehydrating really intensifies the lemon flavor).

Cheers!

A Devilish Cocktail for Red Hot July

                                      El Diablo (the devil), is the perfect libation for the 4th 

The month of July this blog is being devoted to hot weather cocktails.  Speak of the Devil, I’ve got a great summer libation to lower your temperature.  Trader Vic, once famous for his elite chain of upmarket Polynesian-themed restaurants ( no relation to Trader Joe), was known as the inventor of the legendary Mai Tai.  Trader Vic is also said to have concocted the recipe for the deadly Scorpion and more genteel Fog Cutter.   “El Diablo,” however, may be one of his best drinks.   El Diablo, devil in Spanish, could be described as the love-child between a margarita and a tropical ginger-based drink.

El Diablo is refreshing, but like all cocktails, shouldn’t be imbibed too quickly as there are three sources of liquor in this devil.   In addition to Tequila, there’s also a liqueur (while the original recipe calls for Crème de Cassis, I use Chambord), and  ginger beer.   If it’s really hot outside, one can bag the ginger beer and substitute ginger ale, however, you’ll need to adjust the lime juice as many ginger ales are sweet.

Here’s the original recipe for this more-heaven-than-hell summer drink.  I serve it in a tall glass packed with ice, and then top it with a thin slice of ginger and wedges of lime.

Per Serving:

      2 oz Tequila

      1/2 oz Lime juice  (3/4 oz if using ginger ale)

      1/2 oz Creme de Cassis (can substitute Chambord for a more elegant rendition)

      3-4 oz Ginger beer (or ginger ale)

Have a develish summer!

Birthing a Watermelon Cocktail

One of my dearest friends has a milestone birthday this weekend.  Friends are flying in from all over the country to help her celebrate at a swanky estate she’s rented in Carmel Valley.   I’ve offered to cook one of the dinners and in consultation with the birthday girl, a Vietnamese menu was chosen (several of us were in Vietnam recently with Wine Knows).   To kick off the evening I decided to concoct a Vietnam-inspired cocktail to honor her.  

Red is a sacred color in the Vietnamese culture---their symbol of luck, happiness, celebration, and love (it’s no surprise why the flag of Vietnam is red).  Hence, when creating a recipe for the aperitif, summer's luscious watermelon immediately came to mind. The birthday girl loves Aperol, so I decided to incorporate this vibrant orange-red aperitif into the cocktail to intensify the watermelon color.  She also adores bubbly drinks as well as Rosé, thus I elected to combine both in the form of a sparkling Rosé.

Ginger and lemongrass are classical flavors found in Vietnamese cooking.  To get these flavors well incorporated, I decided to infuse vodka with ginger and lemon grass. Concerned about the drink's alcohol content (especially in the heat of summer), I chose to offset it by adding some sparkling water to the drink.

Here’s the aperitif which I named “Carolini” in honor of the birthday girl, Carolina.  

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup thinly sliced ginger (more for decoration)
• 3 stalks of crushed lemongrass---white part only (use tops for decoration)
• 1 cup of good quality vodka
• 5 cups of ripe, seeded watermelon
• 1 cup of Aperol
• 1/2  bottle of sparkling Rosé

Directions:

1.  One week in advance, place ginger and lemongrass in a clean glass jar.  Pour over vodka.  Seal and store for a week.   Strain before using.

2.  Place watermelon in a food processor until it is liquefied.  Strain and discard any solids.

3.  Make sure all ingredients are well chilled on the day of serving. 

4.  A few hours prior to serving pour all (with the exception of the Rosé and water) into a large pitcher.

5.  Just prior to serving, add the bottle of sparkling Rose and stir.

6.  Decorate with shaved ginger, or a stalk of lemon grass, and/or mint with a slice of watermelon  (serve in either a martini glass or high-ball glass filled with ice).

7.  Party!

(Serves 10 thirsty women.)

The British are Coming!

A Pimms' Cup in the very charming Cotswolds

I spent a glorious two weeks in England this summer. One of the reasons I flew over was to check out the country’s new sparkling wine industry that has been taking the international wine world by storm.  Fizz (as they call their bubbly) has become a new icon like Big Ben, Stilton cheese and Megan Markle.   While much of the fizz was world-class, one of my favorite drinks for their unusually warm summer was Pimms.   I’ve known the drink for 30 years, but my recent visit rekindled my love for it.

Pimms is an usual liqueur made from gin.   It’s a savory concoction of various spices and herbs with citrus overtones.  I don’t think anyone would find drinking it alone very enticing, but mixed with sparkling lemonade, muddled mint, and chopped fruits it’s a wonderfully refreshing way to begin a dinner party…or serve poolside on a warm autumn day.  It’s somewhat a British rendition of sangria---light and easy drinking.  Its low alcohol format (due to being diluted with lemonade), makes for a thirst-quenching drink without making your head spin.

My favorite aperitif with Pimms is called a Pimms’ Cup.  I was served this version by an English woman in the backyard of a glorious waterside home in the Cotswolds.  I’ve made it several times since returning with varying fruits.  Here is my preferred rendition which serves eight persons a Long-Live-the Queen aperitif:

   ~ 1 bottle of Pimms #1

   ~ An equal size bottle of sparkling lemonade (Trader Joe has a great one with low 

      sugar)

   ~ ½ cup of peeled, seeded & chopped cucumber

   ~ 1 small apple, cored & chopped (leave skin)

   ~ 1 cup thinly sliced strawberries

   ~ A handful of fresh muddled mint

Combine all in a pitcher, serve in clear glasses with ice & a sprig of mint on top.

Wine-Knows will be visiting England in June 2019 and there are only two seats left.  In addition to Pimms, we’ll be exploring many of the award-winning fizzes.  Also, dare I mention that we’re also visiting the Bombay Sapphire Gin Factory?   Check it out:  http://www.wineknowstravel.com/the-english-countryside.

S.O.S. (Summer of Spritz)

                                                        My first Aperol Spritz in Venice

There’s no better way to ring in the arrival of summer than with an Aperol Spritz.  I first was introduced to this colorful aperitif in Venice about ten years ago on a summer’s evening at an outdoor swanky canal-side bar.   Every single table of Italians were enjoying a bright orange-colored drink in a wine glass filled with ice.  What was this popular mystery drink? 

“A spritz, Signora” our waiter informed me, and he then added “It’s very Venetian.” Sold!  All of us bravely ordered one, not knowing if we would make it past the first sip.  (I was thinking of the fiasco of ordering my first Negroni cocktail 30 years earlier on the island of Capri.  I wanted to spit out the first sip but couldn’t as I was on the terrace of the 5 star La Quissiana Hotel).  But, the spitz more than made up from my horrible earlier experience of trying a new cocktail.  Like everyone else at the table, I became an instant fan of the Aperol spritz!

A spritz is made from Aperol and sparkling wine.  Aperol is what gives the aperitif its unmistakable vivid orange color.   You can’t miss a bottle of Aperol in a bar or in a liquor store as its color commands attention.   Think brilliant neon orange. Aperol is a somewhat bitter aperitif distilled from a mélange of oranges, rhubarb and plants such as cinchona (related to quinine, it is responsible for Aperol’s slightly bitter taste, similar to that of tonic water).

The Venetian waiter was correct.  Aperol is very Ventetian as it is actually produced in the Venice area.  But, Aperol has exploded onto the American cocktail scene.  In a recent Bon Appetit there was an entire article on the "spritz."  According to the magazine, Aperol has created "a seismic shift."  Indeed, Aperol is appearing in endless concoctions.  Recently I’ve seen a Pimm’s Cup made with Aperol, an Aperol mimosa, and even an Aperol margarita.  But, Aperol has moved well beyond the US market.  I’ve seen Aperol in one form or another in Argentina, Chile, New Zealand, and Fiji.

While I’ve experimented with creating my own Aperol renditions, I have to admit that the original spritz version remains my very favorite.  The recipe is super easy and only involves a few ingredients:  ½ Aperol and ½ sparkling wine with a splash of sparkling water…finish with a slice of orange and serve in a glass with ice.

Have a S.O.S. !