“I’ve always loved the concept of restaurant hospitality,” says Matt Allen, “specifically, bar programs and craft cocktails. It’s a great way to bring people together and enjoy an experience.” As corporate mixologist, Allen runs the cocktail program for the Maggiore Group, which includes Valley restaurant favorites such as Tomaso’s, Hash Kitchen, and The Sicilian Butcher.
The Sicilian Butcher, an ode to the Maggiore family’s Sicilian heritage, is a natural home for one of Italy’s most beloved classic cocktails – the Aperol Spritz.
An effervescent bittersweet refresher, its star is Aperol, a low-alcohol (11 proof) Italian liqueur made with bitter oranges and herbs known to stimulate the appetite such as gentian and cinchona.
Aperol is known as an aperitif or aperitivo, a “palate opener,” meant to be enjoyed with small bites. In Italy, Aperitivo Hour is the convivial time to meet with friends and family after work and before dinner. “An aperitivo is meant to stimulate your palate,” explains Allen. “The bitterness plays with your tongue and is a little dry, so you want that next sip, and the next, and then you want to eat.
Traditionally, an Aperol Spritz is made with a 3-2-1 ratio of prosecco, Aperol, and a “spritz” of club soda or sparkling water, but The Sicilian Butcher has its own twist. “We use less Aperol and add a bit of lemon juice to brighten it up,” says Allen. “Americans tend to like less bitterness, so ours is more approachable but all the flavors still shine through. It makes for a nice, easygoing aperitivo.
Ingredients:
– 2.5 oz Zonin prosecco
– 1.5 oz Aperol
– 1 oz club soda or sparkling water such as San Pellegrino
– .5 oz fresh lemon juice
– Half an orange slice for garnish
Directions:
Fill a white wine glass halfway with ice. Add the Prosecco, Aperol, lemon juice,
and club soda. Stir to combine. Garnish with orange slice.