Rustle up your own orange vermouth, then add sparkling wine for the ideal start to any late-spring meal
This super-fresh spritz is the perfect aperitif and is a great drink for when you’re entertaining friends, because most of the work is done well in advance. Just be sure to weigh out the liquids for the vermouth accurately. Once it’s made, simply mix with sparkling wine and you’re good to go. Or, for a lower-alcohol option, ditch the fizz for soda water or ginger ale.
Orange vermouth spritz
Serves 1
For the orange-infused vermouth (makes 30 serves)
40g orange peel strips, from about 3-4 oranges
40g white sugar
40g vodka
250g dry vermouth
40g fresh orange juice (ie, from the peeled oranges above)
For the spritz
25ml orange vermouth – see above and method
100ml sparkling wine – a dry one, ideally
1 wide strip orange peel, to garnish
Working in batches, stack up four or five pieces of orange peel at a time, and cut them into fine strips, to ensure maximum oil extraction and infusion. Combine the peel and sugar in a bowl, mixing to coat evenly, then cover and leave at room temperature until the sugar dissolves – stir the mix from time to time, to break up any clumps. Once it’s dissolved, stir in the vodka and leave to steep for a further 12 hours.
Pour in the vermouth and orange juice, leave for another 12 hours to infuse again, then strain through a fine sieve and decant into a clean bottle. The vermouth will now keep in the fridge for up to two months.
To make the drink, pour the vermouth and sparkling wine into a rocks glass filled with ice. Cut out a 50p coin-sized disc of orange peel, pinch it skin side down over the top of the drink, to express the oils, then drop it in the glass and serve.
Source: The Guardian
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