Eco-Cocktail - Bee-22 from Auberge du Soleil

● Auberge du Soleil in the Napa Valley created the ‘Bee-22’ to celebrate Earthday. A tangy blend of Marshall’s Farm wildflower honey, San Francisco’s organic No. 209 Gin, Philo Apple Farm’s apple cider syrup, fresh rosemary from our garden, and Meyer lemon juice. All organic and a wonderful spring cocktail. 

Ingredients:

3 oz     209 Organic Gin      

0.5 oz  Marshall Farms Honey

0.5 oz  Meyer Lemon Juice

0.5 oz  Philo Apple Cider Syrup

1         Egg White

Method: Fill cocktail shaker with ice. Combine gin, honey, lemon juice, apple cider syrup and the egg white from one egg. Moisten the rim of a martini glass with lemon juice or water, then dip in Rosemary Sugar. Shake until well chilled. Strain into prepared glass. Garnish with Rosemary Sprig. Enjoy!

Cocktail Chef Vincent Lee

A true original. The Sunburst...

 The Sunburst is real original made using Saffron Vodka, St Germain and Aperol. Correctly made it is a complex and superb cocktail. Beautiful, balanced and not too sweet. This is the way it’s done at Eccolo Restaurant in Berkeley. The bar here makes it’s own Saffron Vodka by taking a mason jar and sprinkling the saffron grains generously to cover the bottom of the jar. Then they fill it with a top shelf vodka such as Hanger One or Grey Goose. They seal the jar and let it steep for week or more to make the infusion.  Another way to go is to try the outstanding Saffron Vodka made by Sub Rosa Spirits in Oregon.

2 oz Saffron Vodka
1/2 oz of St. Germain
1/2 oz of Aperol
meyer lemon twist

Place everything the rocks in a shaker… reserving the Aperol. Shake 20 times, then strain into a chilled martini glass. Gently add the Aperol… it should slide to the bottom of the glass. Garnish with the lemon twist. Sip and enjoy…

A favorite apéritif... "The Nigroni"

As served at Eccolo, Berkeley, CA The so very Italian Nigroni has always held a special place in my heart as a classic apéritif. According to Wikipedia, its history dates back to 1919 and was made at Caffè Casoni in Florence, Italy. Named for Count Camillo Negroni, the man who invented it by asking a bartender (Fosco Scarselli) to add gin to the “Americano” (Campari, sweet vermouth and club soda). Made well, it is sublime; made poorly, well, let’s not go there.

The OTV Recipe:

35% Bombay Sapphire Gin - (1 part +)
35% Italian Campari - (1 part)
30% Good sweet Vermouth - (just a tad under 1 part)

A small wedge of blood orange (regular if not available)

Stir gently over ice, add a squeeze of orange. May be served straight up garnished with a twist of orange, or on the rocks with a slice of orange on the rim. Icy cold! In summer, a splash of soda is nice! Balance is the key… not too sweet, not too bitter.

Enjoy - JAS