L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.com 12 THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2014 L'Italo-Americano Somehow I can't leave Sicily behind. A couple of weeks ago I wrote about busiate, the island's unique corkscrew pasta made from an heirloom wheat, and now I'm hooked on Averna Amaro Siciliano. Call me pazza per gli amari. I love this genre of liquor; with its complex inter- play of flavors, Averna in parti- cular has captured both my heart and palate. And I'm not the only one. Averna has captivated the drinking public since its intro- duction in 1868, and with 90 points, the liquor took Gold at the 2014 Los Angeles International Spirits Competition. Over the years, the liquor has been granted various royal awards and a "Royal Household Patent." Beloved by King and commoner alike, Averna is velvety rich and viscous, with a bittersweet, her- bal aroma. Notes of chocolate, vanilla, tobacco, coffee and citrus are underpinned with lico- rice and laced with dark, sweet caramel. Although classed as an amaro, or "bitter", Averna is, like many amari, surprisingly sweet. It is a delight on the rocks or neat, even lightly war- med. Once thought mostly as a digestivo, today's inventive mixologists are making good use of Averna in mixed drinks like the Black Manhattan and Beatnik. It blends particularly well with spirits such as bourbon and vodka, and pairs beautifully with any citrus. Its warm green notes are an absolute delight with ginger beer. There are warm days ahead. Here are two cocktails, either of which would be welcome on a hot Indian Summer afternoon. Or if you are planning a brunch get-together, serve these instead of the usual Bloody Mary cock- tail. With their shared notes of bright citrus and the warmth of ginger beer these are the perfect way to introduce your guests to the delights of one of Italy's most famous amari. Averna and Citrus Cocktail serves 1 Heaped with thinly sliced citrus, this is a light and refre- shing brew. I have called for blood orange juice. Although blood oranges are out of season in the northern hemisphere, some stores are now importing them from New Zealand and Australia. If you can not find blood oran- ges, you may substitute full bodied fresh orange juice. •1 ½ oz. Averna Amaro Siciliano •1 oz. blood orange juice •Ginger beer •blood orange, lemon, and lime, sliced paper-thin, for garni- Amaro from the Island aDRi baRR CRoCetti sh Place one or two slices of citrus at the bottom of a rocks or highball glass. Fill the glass ¾ full with ice. Slip more slices of citrus up the sides of the glass, wedging them between the ice and the glass. Pour in the Averna and blood orange juice, and top with ginger beer. Finish with more citrus slices. Serve at once. Averna e More serves 1 This sophisticated and eye- catching cocktail starts with the rich fruitiness of muddled black- berries, a sweet counterpoint to the astringency of the orange- infused vodka and lemon juice. The drink is further mellowed by the sweet basil simple syrup. Basil, with its distinct note of anise, happens to be the perfect complement to the licorice notes of the Averna, and it lifts and brightens the flavor of the black- berries. With the warm finish of the ginger beer, this multi-laye- red cocktail is sure to make con- verts of your guests. •⅓ cup blackberries, plus ber- ries to garnish •1 oz. Averna Amaro Siciliano •1 oz. premium orange flavo- red vodka, such as Grey Goose •½ oz. fresh lemon juice •1 oz. basil simple syrup (reci- pe follows) •2 oz. Ginger beer •basil sprig to garnish Fill a rocks glass ¾ full with ice cubes. Set aside. Drop ⅓ cup of blackberries into a cock- tail shaker and muddle well. Pour Averna, orange flavored vodka, lemon juice, basil simple syrup, and a few ice cubes into the shaker and shake for 30 seconds. Strain into the rocks glass, top with ginger beer, and garnish with a few berries and a sprig of basil. Serve at once. Basil Simple Syrup Generously flavored with basil, this syrup is wonderful drizzled over summer fruit, especially watermelon, or as a sweetening agent for cocktails, lemonade, iced tea, and long drinks. Try this before summer and basil season are over. •2 generous cups basil leaves, well packed •2 cups granulated sugar •1 cup water Rinse the basil leaves, and remove from stems. Discard stems. Place leaves on towels to remove most of the water. Combine basil leaves, sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has come to a gentle simmer. The mixture will be completely clear with no granu- les or gritty texture when sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat, and set aside for 10 minu- tes. Strain into a storage contai- ner with a tight fitting lid. Discard basil. Store in the refri- gerator 5 to 7 days. Averna Amaro Siciliano is available at Mission Wine & Spirits (missionliquor.com), BevMo! (bevmo.com) and other fine liquor stores. Questions? Email me at adri@AdriBarrCrocetti.com or visit at AdriBarrCrocetti.com Averna cocktail starts with the rich fruitiness of muddled blackberries, a sweet counterpoint to the astringency of the orange-infused vodka and lemon juice

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