For my birthday recently, my cousin @footballstylist on Instagram (who knows me very well! Thank you Slenderella!) gave me a bottle of Gentian Amaro made by the California based Lo-Fi Brand Aperitifs and tonight I tasted it! Oh my, swooning! It’s delicious!
The color of the label mimics the beautiful pinky-red color of the libation.
Lo-Fi Brand suggested on their website that this Amaro pairs well with Rye Whiskey & I happen to have leftover Rye (I know! What an odd occurrence . . . ) from a party so I made myself a ‘Lo-Fi & Rye’ cocktail which is exactly that;
1 part Gentian Amaro to
2 parts Rittenhouse Rye.
No ice, no water, no juice, no soda, no nothin’ else & it’s delightful!
Why no ice? It’s been a damp & cold May day and I didn’t want a cold cocktail.
Why no water? Because I’m not a fan of watering down my whiskey. No matter how many people tell me a few drops of water “opens up the flavor of the alcohol” I have never had that happen, in all the times I’ve tried it, & I’ve tried it a lot. So I drink my water on the side.
As to why no soda, well, I don’t like fizzy drinks, never have. Carbonation just does not agree with me. I tolerate a flat tonic water sometimes but that’s rarely. I like Guinness but that’s it for beer, & I get ill around champagne so an effervescent mixer is not appealing to me.
This easy drink consisting of just 2 ingredients and no special equipment is perfect for those of you who don’t want to make cocktails at home because you think it’s too complicated. Cocktails can use many ingredients and lots of special gear, making some folks think they can’t do it at home.
But you can! Find two or three bottles of alcohol that you like and with them you can make quite a few drinks by adding fresh fruit juices or sipping them neat or straight. Home mixology does not have to be hard and because you have invested in just what you like to drink, your simple home bar will quickly outshine all the professional ones! There is nothing like a drink made with all your favorite brands & ingredients. No cocktail lounge can pull off that for every patron, no matter how good they are, but you have the luxury of using only your favorites and you are your only patron.
Try getting a bottle of Whiskey or gin that you like. And a white or red wine you like and an Amaro you like and you’ll be amazed at the different cocktails you can make with some lemons and oranges. If you like fizzy drinks, get some quality crafted tonic water and you are golden! Don’t know what you like? That’s what the little airline bottles at the liquor store are great for! Try the little bottles first to see!
This is the little bottle selection at my local BevMo and it’s how I learned what type of gin I like! (I like Botanical Gins! . . . For inquiring minds.) (And it’s fun!) Once you learn what you like from the vast array of booze available for purchase it becomes so much easier to order drinks when you are out at a bar and so much more fun at home.
http://www.lofiaperitifs.com/genatian-amaro
