Apéritifs

More than just a drink, an apéritif is a social event, an attitude, a time of day, and an integral part of French, Italian, British, and other cultures.

Read on, and we’ll tell you everything you need to know about the apéritif, a time-honored tradition that is starting to catch fire here in America.

What is an apéritif?

An apéritif (pronounced a-peh-ruh-TEEF) is a drink enjoyed before a meal in order to rouse the appetite. In fact, the name comes from the Latin word aperire, which means “to open”—the idea being that an apéritif opens the stomach and readies it to fully enjoy the food that follows.

A wide range of drinks can be enjoyed as apéritifs (apéros for short), but most of them have a few characteristics in common:

1.     Apéritifs tend to be light and refreshing. Champagne or sparkling wine, vermouth, fino, or Aperol spritz are popular and refreshing apéritifs.

2.     Apéritifs usually have a relatively low alcohol content. Recent trends have even included apéritifs with no alcohol at all.

3.     Apéritifs are usually dry rather than sweet. While sherry is a popular apéritif, it’s usually a dry sherry rather than something sweet like an oloroso. Sweet beverages are reserved for after the meal.

Often served with finger foods like crackers, olives, or cheese, apéritifs aren’t meant to make you feel full or tipsy. Remember, the idea is just to whet the appetite and get you ready to eat.

How are apéritifs and digestifs different?

The most obvious difference is that apéritifs are enjoyed before a meal while digestifs are taken after diners are done eating. Where apéritifs are thoughts to “open” the appetite, digestifs are intended to aid in digestion.

Digestifs characteristically have a higher alcohol content than apéritifs and are considerably stronger and/or sweeter. Cognac or brandy are popular digestifs, as are whiskey, scotch, and various dessert wines.

Why are apéritifs significant?

If you’ve spent time in Europe and seen how apéritifs are enjoyed there, you know that they’re much more than a drink; they’re part of a dining tradition that goes back farther than the ancient Greeks. Today, in Italy, the period between 6 pm and 9 pm is known as the “apéritivo hour” when bars, restaurants, and cafes serve light foods and drinks before patrons begin their main meal. (If you’re bothered by the fact that this so-called “hour” actually goes on for three hours or more, you’re missing the point!)

In cultures that have embraced apéritifs, the whole idea of dining is different from our American customs. In Paris, Madrid, London, or Rome, for example, meals aren’t meant to be rushed through. Dining is seen as an opportunity to enjoy the company of friends and family as well as great food and drink, and Europeans are in no hurry to end the meal quickly. In France, l’heure de l’apéro  (the apéro hour) signals the end of the work day, time to sit down and relax with good company, a few appetizers, and a cold apéritif to get the evening rolling.

It's easy to see why the apéritif is a treasured part of so many cultures.

Where does the aperitif come from?

Vermouth

Historically, the apéritif goes back thousands of years, but the history of the modern apéritif really began in 1786. That’s when an Italian distiller named Antonio Benedetto Carpano infused white wine with over 30 herbs and spices to create a drink he called vermouth (after the High German word wermut, meaning “wormwood”). Unlike similar concoctions that other distillers made, Carpano didn’t market his drink as a medicine. Instead, he used a high-quality wine and marketed it as a drink for the upper class. He began selling it from his shop directly opposite the Royal Palace in Turin. He even sent a crate of his creation to King Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia who loved it so much that it was adopted as the official royal apéritif.

After that, the popularity of Carpano’s vermouth exploded. All over Italy and France, distillers began to experiment with their own versions using different local herbs and spices. Eventually, vermouth divided into two main types: French vermouth (which is white and dry) and Italian vermouth (which is red and sweet). Today, vermouth is a key ingredient in many cocktails including martinis, Manhattans, negronis, and Rob Roys, and Carpano is considered the father of the modern apéritif.

Quinquinas

Sixty years later, the development of modern apéritifs took another major turn.

At that time, France was fighting a war in North Africa, and thousands of French Foreign Legion soldiers were dying of malaria. It was well known that drinking quinine could help prevent malaria, but quinine tastes nasty. The French government offered a prize to anyone who could come up with the best wine-based drink that contained quinine, so they could get their soldiers to drink it.

That prize went to Joseph Dubonnet, a French chemist who invented an apéritif that not only masked the taste of quinine but actually tasted good! The apéritif would go on to become a favorite drink for many, including Queen Elizabeth II who enjoyed a Dubonnet with gin every day. Out of Dubonnet’s drink developed a whole family of apéritifs called “quinquinas.” Keep your eyes on this page, and soon we’ll feature a special quinquina apéritif, the Americano.

What are the most popular apéritifs?

The world of apéritifs has grown far beyond what we can cover in one article, but here’s an overview of some of the most popular apéritifs today.

Campari

This Italian apéritif has come to be so popular that you can recognize its signature bright red color on any bartender’s shelf. Although its ingredients have been a closely guarded secret since its invention in 1860, its distinctive bitter taste is well-known. It is a key component of many popular cocktails, including the negroni, Napolean, boulevardier, and Americano (which, as we said, we’ll be featuring soon).  If you aren’t accustomed to bitter drinks, it can be pretty strong taken straight, but mixing it with chilled soda can make it pleasantly palatable

Sherry

Sherry is a fortified wine made in southern Spain. There are several different varieties, but the drier kinds like fino or manzanilla make the best apéritifs. Their various levels of flavor, from savory to herbaceous, are wonderful for waking up the tongue.

Port

Port is another fortified wine (traditionally from Portugal) and is often a sweet red dessert wine. However, white and tawny ports make excellent apéritifs..  

Lillet

Lillet is considered a quinquina since it originally contained quinine, but ever since it was reformulated in 1986, it’s not clear whether Lillet still has quinine in it. Still, it’s very popular and was a favorite of fictional character James Bond. This wine tastes fruity but not especially sweet, so it’s great for arousing your gustatory curiosity.

Aperol

Made by the same company that produces Campari, this Italian bittersweet liqueur is orange instead of red and is less bitter-tasting than its brother. It tastes more citrusy and has a lower alcohol content, so it arguably makes an even better apéritif. Aperol has been called “Campari with training wheels.” Mix it with Prosecco and club soda and you have yourself an Aperol spritz. Or check out Bacchus owner Kaleb Craft’s favorite Aperol cocktail, the Aperol enzoni.

Absinthe

Absinthe tastes like black licorice, so some people love it and some hate it.  Either way, it has a wild history that certainly makes it one of the most interesting apéritifs.

Sparkling Wine 

From kir royales to mimosas to spritzes to bellinis, the range of apéritifs you can make with sparkling wine or champagne is immense.  

Beer

If you’re a beer fan, there’s nothing wrong with choosing a light beer for your apéritif party. The acidity of the bubbles and the bitterness of hops can wake up the palate. Most dark beers are going to be overwhelming at the beginning of a meal, though, so steer away from anything malty, barrel-aged, or with a high alcohol content.

If you really want to turn heads with your apéritif choice, consider a beermosa or some other beer cocktail.

Whatever apéritif tickles your palate, we hope it will help bring you the joy of the the “apéritivo hour”—no matter how many hours it takes.

Saluti.

Celebrating Sober with Virgin Mojitos

If you’ve resolved to cut back on alcohol and celebrate sober in 2024, you’re in good company.

The last few years have seen a growing national trend away from alcohol and towards “mocktails” and other booze-free drinks. We’re here for it!

Traditionally, alcohol has always been a way for some people to relax, socialize, and feel connected, but for others it can have the opposite effect. If you’re the only one at a party who’s not imbibing, it’s easy to feel excluded from the group.

Luckily, that’ starting to change.

The Mocktail Movement

Studies are showing a noticeable shift (especially among the younger generation) toward non-alcoholic alternatives. Some bars are even starting to include mocktails on their regular menus. We’ve noticed that at weddings, business conventions, and other events, our clients are asking us to create more non-alcoholic alternatives to offer their guests.

Maybe our society is becoming more health conscious. Or maybe the trend reflects a growing social awareness of the dangers of overconsumption. Perhaps people just want more choices. Whatever the reasons are for the mocktail movement, we love it!

The next time you find yourself craving a no-alcohol cocktail to sip, here’s a great option. With just a few ingredients, this virgin mojito is simple, delicious, and quick to make. And no one needs to know whether or not you’ve added the rum!

VIRGIN MOJITOS

Ingredients

• 2 shredded mint leaves

• I oz fresh lime juice

• I oz simple syrup

• Ice

• 4 oz club soda

• 1 strawberry or 4 blueberries (more for garnish)

Instructions

 1.      In a rocks glass or other sturdy glass, muddle the mint leaves, berries, lime juice, and syrup.

2.      Add ice almost to the top of glass.

3.      Top off with club soda (You can also use ginger ale or sparkling water)

4.      Give it all a gentle stir.

5.      Garnish with an additional berry and enjoy!

Mimosas

We would say that December is the perfect time for making mimosas, but let’s be honest. What month isn’t the right time to enjoy this bubbly glass of happiness?

Mimosas are simple, refreshing, festive, and delicious. No wonder they’re the quintessential cocktail for flying first class, toasting the lucky couple, or enjoying a breakfast out with the girls.

But what really has us excited about mimosas are the fun ways that people are starting to play with the traditional “half-champagne-half-orange-juice” formula. We get requests for mimosas made with everything from pomegranates to pineapples. With such a versatile drink, it’s hard to go wrong.  

Mimosas 101

So how do you make a great mimosa? Simple:

1.       Pick a good alcohol. Mimosas are traditionally made with champagne, but there are a lot of equally delicious (and less expensive) options. A good cava, prosecco, or American sparkling wine will work wonderfully. Click here to learn everything you need to know about choosing a champagne or sparkling wine.

2.       Choose your juice. Almost any citrus will work well in a mimosa, including grapefruit. clementines, and all kinds of oranges. Mango is a crowd favorite, as are strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, and passionfruit. (Yes, passionfruit is technically a kind of berry.) We’re also partial to guava, peaches, or pears.

3.       Chill your ingredients beforehand. Having your wine and juices chilled allows you to skip the ice, which would dilute your drink.

4.       Use roughly equal parts of juice and champagne or wine. Experiment to see if you like your mimosas a little more or less on the boozy side.

5.       Garnish with a fruit slice, a few floating berries, or an aromatic sprig of mint or basil. Alternatively, add a splash of elderflower liqueur.

6.       Enjoy!

Mulled Wine

Mulled wine—also called spiced wine, glühwein, glögg, bisschopswijn, vin brulé, vin chaud, and many other names—is popular all over the world, and for good reason! A tasty mug of mulled wine on a chilly night is the perfect way to warm yourself inside and out. Plus, keeping a batch of it simmering gently on the stove fills your house with the amazing, welcoming smells of the winter holidays.

Be careful not to turn your spiced wine into candy treacle! The trick to a great mulled wine is to balance the fruitiness and sweetness against the wonderful spice notes. That’s why our recipe starts with toasting your spices to bring out their full flavor.

While we like to use a single large saucepan, you can simmer your mulled wine in your slow cooker instead.

There’s no need to bring out your best wine for this recipe. Since the flavors of the wine will largely be masked by the spices, this recipe is a great way to use the medium/low-grade wine you have no other use for. Any medium- or full-bodied Pinot, Merlot, or Zinfandel will do. Zweigelt is an inexpensive option. In a pinch, you could even use a white wine and it would taste great, although your guests might give you funny looks.

Mulled Wine

(makes 8 cocktails)

Ingredients

• 3 cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces

• 10 cloves, whole

• 1 tsp allspice berries, cracked

• ½ tsp black peppercorns, cracked

• 2 (750 ml) bottles red wine

• ½ cup sugar

• 2 oz brandy

• 1 orange

• Brandy or rum (optional)

Directions

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, toast the cinnamon pieces, cloves, allspice berries, and peppercorns for 1-3 minutes, shaking gently.

2. Zest the orange in long strips. (Keep the orange slices to be used as garnish.) Add the orange zest, wine, and sugar to the saucepan, and bring it all to a simmer. Do not let the mixture boil!

3. Reduce heat to low and cover partially. Allow mixture to simmer gently for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

4. Strain the mixture and discard solids. Add extra sugar to taste.

5. Serve warm, garnished with an orange slice or a cinnamon stick. When you ladle the wine into mugs, guests may choose to add a tablespoon or two of brandy or rum to ramp up the holiday “cheer.”  

Pro Tips:

• Don’t let the mixture reach a boil or else the alcohol will start to evaporate away. If you want, you can use that technique to reduce the alcohol content of your mulled wine…but where’s the fun in that?

• When you zest your orange, use a peeler and be careful to avoid the white pith as much as possible. Pith will give your drink a nasty, bitter taste.

• In place of the sugar, feel free to substitute honey, maple syrup, or another sweetener.

• Other variations on this recipe include star anise, or they use simmer the wine with orange slices.

Happy holidays!

Bacchus Joins Rocky Mountain Bride’s Vendor Collective

We are delighted to announce that Rocky Mountain Bride magazine has invited Bacchus to join its 2024 vendor collective.

The collective is an exclusive guide to the best wedding vendors and venues in the U.S. and Canadian Rockies. We are honored to be featured among this amazing group of wedding professionals. The 2024 vendor collective will also highlight our parent catering company, Culinary Crafts, as well as the two wedding venues that Culinary Crafts operates, the Kimball Terrace in Park City and the Tasting Room in downtown Salt Lake City.

We are glad to see that Rocky Mountain Bride is bringing attention to Utah’s extraordinary wedding and hospitality industry. This state has earned its reputation as the ideal host for destination weddings. In fact, Utah is the only state in the U.S. to be awarded three Michelin stars and designated as an “exceptional destination” and “worth a special journey in itself.” We’re glad that people are discovering that Utah is a beautiful place to live, work, and celebrate...and to get married!

Watch for photos of our gorgeous weddings and special catered events.

Witches' Brew Cocktail

For Halloween, we’ve delved into the mystical world of mixology to bring you our recipe of the month, Witches’ Brew Cocktail.

If you remember, last year we showed you the color-changing witchcraft of the Pea Blossom Gin and Tonic. We soaked a handful of dried butterfly pea blossoms in the gin for several hours, and when we added tonic water and a squeeze of fresh lime—voila!—the colors changed like magic.

With Witches’ Brew, the concept is the same, but we’re getting a bit more adventurous. In addition to the butterfly pea blossoms, we’re going to infuse our alcohol with an assortment of edible flowers and herbs, teas, and the traditional eye of newt and toe of frog. (Those last two are optional.)

Of course, you can also make a lovely non-alcoholic version of this drink. In fact, there’s a whole grimoire of ways you can concoct your Witches’ Brew to match any color or taste you choose.   

Witches’ Brew Cocktail

(makes about 10 servings)

INGREDIENTS

• 14 oz gin or vodka

• 2 oz simple syrup

• 1 Tbsp black or green tea

or

• ¼ oz dried flower petals

DIRECTIONS

1. If using herbs or flowers, clean them thoroughly. Allow them to wilt for three or four hours to make the infusion more concentrated.

2. Place dried flowers or tea into a sealable glass container. Pour in your vodka or gin. Stir gently and seal the container.

3. Store in cool, dark place for one day, shaking the container occasionally.

4. Using cheesecloth or other fine-mesh strainer, strain all the solids out of the cocktail. Pour strained cocktail into a clean glass container and add simple syrup.

5. Serve straight or over ice.

PRO TIPS:

You can do the infusion in any kind of nonreactive container made of glass or stainless steel, but do not use aluminum.

If you’re making a mocktail version of this drink, bear in mind that you can’t just soak your flowers in non-alcoholic gin because you won’t get nearly the same level of extraction. Instead, steep the flowers in hot water just as you would tea. Pour about 7 oz of the infused tea water into 7 oz of your virgin gin, add the simple syrup, and you’re all set.

For all our edible flowers, we rely on Brickhouse Growers in Orem.  

Our favorite local gins include Madame Pattirini, Beehive Jack Rabbit, and Alpine. For vodka, our local favorites include High West, Five Wives, and Sugar House.

New World Distillery in Eden, Utah makes a tart cherry liqueur called Wasatch Blossom that can make a super fun base for a Witches Brew Cocktail. It’s on the sweet side, so we suggest adding a lemon peel or grapefruit peel to balance the flavor with a little bit of a bitter note.

To increase the intensity of the infusion, filter out the solid materials after 12 hours and replace them with fresh flowers or tea.

Milk-washed Apple Cider

I’ve never been much of a tea drinker, but I love high tea.

 I love everything about high tea, from the concept of a relaxing break in the middle of the afternoon to the tiny sandwiches, petit fours, and scones with jam and homemade clotted cream. Well, I love almost everything about it…the actual tea itself I could do without.

So, imagine my delight when, vacationing in Boston a few years ago, my husband and I stopped for high tea at a restaurant near the harbor, and instead of tea we were served an incredibly delicious apple cider! I had always been a huge fan of apple cider and had made my own for years, but something was different about this cider. I had never tasted anything so smooth, rich, and flavorful. I called our waiter over and asked how such an amazing drink had been created, but he didn’t know. “I could ask the chef,” he said, “but I don’t think he’ll give away his secret.”

 A minute later, our waiter returned. “The chef says it has cinnamon, anise, nutmeg, cloves, and oranges,” he reported. My face fell. I already included all those ingredients in my cider; clearly, that wasn’t the chef’s secret. Besides, I could tell just by looking at the cider that something unusual was going on. This cider was clear, almost transparent. Honestly, it looked almost like white wine.

 Despite my best sweet-talking and outright begging, the chef never gave up his secret. But then, years later, I stumbled onto the answer. The chef had milk-washed his cider.

What is Milk-Washing?

Milk-washing is a technique commonly used by bartenders to give cocktails a smoother, silkier taste and mouthfeel. By adding whole milk to a drink, along with citrus or some other form of acid, you cause the milk to curdle. Curdled milk may not sound very appealing but trust me; the results are delicious! As the milk proteins coagulate, they bond with the tannins or other strong, bitter-tasting chemicals already in the drink. Then, when you strain out the milk curds, you also remove all those overly strong elements, leaving behind a light, delicate-tasting cocktail.

Or apple cider.

Or practically any drink you want to try this technique on!

Speaking of different drinks, a while ago Culinary Crafts used this milk-washing technique to make an amazing cocktail for an event. I’ll share that recipe for Cacao-Bittered & Milk-Washed Antrim here.

Eat (and drink) well!

Meagan Crafts

Milk-Washed Apple Cider

(serves 16)

Ingredients:

·  1 gallon Red Barn apple cider

·  2 oranges or 3 mandarin oranges

·  5 cinnamon sticks

·  2 TBSP ground cinnamon

·  1 TBSP ground nutmeg

·  3-5 whole star anise

·  1/2 tsp whole cloves 

·  2¾ cups whole milk

Directions:

1.    Combine all ingredients except for milk in a large pot and bring to a simmer until fragrant.

2.    Strain cider into a separate container and allow to cool.

3.    Pour milk into a large container. Slowly add cooled cider to the milk as you stir gently. (It’s important that you add the cider to the milk and not the other way around! Otherwise, the milk will curdle too quickly.)

4.    After milk has been added, allow mixture to sit in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight.

5.    Filter the mix through a fine mesh strainer to remove curds. Strain again through a rinsed paper coffee filter. The strained cider should be a pale golden color, much lighter than the original cider.

6.    Garnish with apple chunks, cinnamon sticks, or both.

7.    Enjoy!

Pro Tips:

Although much of the milk is removed during the straining process, some milk proteins and lactose will remain in the cider, so milk washing may not be a great idea for vegans or the lactose intolerant.  

Besides adding a smooth, rich taste and mouthfeel, the milk proteins that remain in the cider after you strain out the curds provide another nifty benefit as well. If you give the cider a good shake just prior to serving, you’ll get a nice frothy head on the drink. Sprinkle a little nutmeg or cinnamon over it, and you’ll give the drink a “boogie cocktail” feel.

Milk-washed cider or milk-washed cocktails can be stored in the fridge without spoiling for months. The cider can then be reheated if you prefer to serve it hot.

Casein, the main protein in milk, will bond with astringent-tasting tannins and polyphenols in alcohol and pull those chemicals out of the drink when the curds are strained away. At the same time, the curdled casein molecules will also remove other strong-tasting chemicals, softening the taste of the beverage. You can use this fact to play around with flavors that might otherwise be overwhelming such as cacao, tea, coffee, or oak. Those flavors will remain in the drink after milk-washing, but the biting, overpowering taste and mouthfeel will be gone!

Centuries ago, there were no regulations or checks on what ingredients could be used in drinks. Consequently, many beverages on the market contained some pretty nasty components. Milk-washing was an easy, popular way to purify beverages before you drank them. Following Charles Dickens’ death, bottles of milk-washed alcohol were found in his cellar.

Kaleb’s Aperol Enzoni

You’ve survived one of the hottest summers on record and managed to get the kids back to school! Now it’s time for a little relaxation. Our August cocktail of the month, Aperol Enzoni, is the perfect refreshing answer to a long, hot summer.

This cocktail is a personal favorite of our Chief Sales Officer, Kaleb Crafts . As a co-owner of Bacchus and of Utah’s premier catering service, Culinary Crafts, Kaleb has been part of the high-end catering world ever since he was old enough to scrub a pot or dry a glass. He has a passion for great food and drinks, and he loves sharing that passion with others. He’s always looking for a reason to throw a party, and this Aperol Enzoni is reason enough all by itself!

“Anytime I have fresh grapes lying around—especially if they’ve grown a little mushy and they’re not ideal for eating—I use them to make an Enzoni,” Kaleb says. “But I like to add my own little twist.”

The Enzoni

Invented in 2003 by a NYC bartender, the Enzoni has been described as “a cross between a Negroni and a Gin Sour.” A pleasant mix of bitter and sweet, the Enzoni is ideal for someone who enjoys fruity drinks but would like to start sampling the world of bitter cocktails. Crushed grapes add a delightful zing to the drink, and by changing the number of grapes, you can easily adjust the balance of sweet, fruity, and bitter to suit your taste.

“I love that there’s a lot going on in an Enzoni,” Kaleb says. “Plus, it’s just a beautiful drink to look at.”

Aperol versus Campari

The original Enzoni calls for Campari, which is a popular bitter orange apéritif from Italy. Kaleb substitutes a different orange apéritif, Aperol. Although both liqueurs are made by the same company , they are quite different. Aperol tastes sweeter and contains only about half as much alcohol.

“Since Aperol is sweeter, you may want to reduce the amount of simple syrup that you use,” Kaleb explains. “Some recipes call specifically for white or green grapes, but I use whatever grapes happen to be around the house. Red grapes taste great in this drink too, and they give it a wonderful deep color.”

Kaleb’s Aperol Enzoni

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 1)

·         5-7 seedless grapes

·         1 oz gin (We love local Utah gins Hammer Spring or Madame Paterini.)

·         1 oz Aperol 

·         0.75 oz lemon juice (about half a small lemon)

·         0.5 oz simple syrup

DIRECTIONS

1.      Muddle your grapes in a cocktail shaker.

2.      Add gin, Aperol, lemon juice, and simple syrup.

3.      Add a scoop of ice, cover, and shake.

4.      Add fresh ice to a double old fashioned glass.

5.      Strain contents of shaker into glass.

6.      Garnish with skewered grapes, a lemon slice, or a lemon peel.

Alla Salute!