The Golden Ratio: How To Balance The Bitterness In Aperitifs
Aperitifs are traditionally sipped on before dinner to build one's appetite for the meal that would follow. These are generally very light but flavourful drinks with floral and botanical notes that open up the palate for the different dishes served during dinner. Aperitifs are consumed at a leisurely pace on slow evenings as daylight gives way to dusk and one takes in the orange, red and purple hues cast across the sky.
Many times, aperitifs make use of Amari or Italian liqueurs embodying a botanical and spicy profile. Amari are quite bitter and are usually added to cocktail recipes like negronis and amaro sour to introduce that tart taste into the drink. Evidently, making a good aperitif or serving an Amari by itself requires skill because it needs one to adjust the bitter notes in the drink to make it well-balanced. And there are some handy hacks that can help one to navigate this process.
Here are some tips to follow while preparing aperitifs in order to balance their bitterness:
Dilute In Water
One of the best ways to enjoy an amaro like the pastis is to dilute it in water. This anise flavoured liqueur is often served with a side of cool water so one can keep on adding small amounts of aqua to the glass to mellow down the drink's bitterness. This way, it is also possible to explore the different layers of flavour that unravel when water is added to the drink, causing it to turn cloudy. Tonic water or sparkling water can be used as variations to adjust the bitterness in amari like aperol and pernod that are otherwise savoured either with water or on a bed of ice to tone down their bitterness.
Citrus Juices
Most aperitifs like a classic negroni or aperol spritz make use of certain citrus elements to undercut some of the bitterness in the amari used to prepare these concoctions. Citrus peels and garnishes not only add a tangy quality to the cocktail but they also introduce acidity and sourness into the drink that undercuts some of the tart flavours inherent to liqueurs like campari or aperol. Use grapefruit, orange and lime juices in abundance for achieving a balanced finish in aperitif recipes.
Floral Liqueurs
Another way to balance the bitterness in aperitifs is to make use of certain floral liqueurs like elderflower or lavender whose fragrances introduce a light textural element into the drink.These give the concoction an aromatic quality while reducing some of the overtly herbaceous and bitter botanical notes present in amari like campari or the artichoke based cynar liqueur used to prepare cocktails.
Herbal Garnishes
Sometimes, the best way to arrive at a balanced mix of flavours in an aperitif is to use herbal garnishes. These could be something as straightforward as mint, basil or rosemary sprigs or even citrus peels for additional layers of flavour that reduce the tart notes in the amari with their spicy and umami textures.
Sweet Vermouth
A fortified wine made from different herbs and spices, sweet vermouth or Italian vermouth is a liqueur known for its use in negronis and manhattans. Bring in the subtle bitterness and the sweet qualities of the liqueur into aperitifs to balance out some of the tartness in campari or gin. Sweet vermouth also introduces more complexity into an otherwise bitter drink providing a very layered flavour experience through the pre dinner cocktail.
Drink Responsibly. This communication is for audiences above the age of 25.
