Apple Amaro Spritz
The combo of spiced apple purée, woodsy amaro and crisp sparkling wine makes this cozy twist on the spritz an ideal tipple for sweater season, or any time you've gone a little overboard at the orchard.
Ingredients
- 4 medium apples (about 1¼ pounds), peeled, cored and finely chopped
- 105 g dark brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) or ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 2 large rosemary sprigs
- 1 large lemon, juiced (about 3 ½ tablespoons)
- 60 ml water
- 14 g mild amaro (such as amaro nonino or montenegro)
- Ice
- 85 g dry sparkling wine
- Soda water
- Rosemary sprig (optional), for garnish
- Sliced apple (optional), for garnish
Instructions
Make the spiced apple purée:
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Heat oven to 425 degrees.
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In a small (1-quart) baking dish, combine chopped apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and rosemary sprigs. Cover tightly and bake until the apples are completely soft and the mixture is fragrant and syrupy, about 30 minutes.
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Remove from the oven, uncover and let cool to room temperature, then add mixture to a mini food processor or blender along with the lemon juice and water, and purée until smooth. This will yield 1120 to 480 ml (depending on the size of your apples), which is enough to make 8 to 10 drinks.
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The purée can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Make the cocktail:
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In the bottom of a large wine glass, stir together 14 g amaro and 114 g (3 tablespoons) of spiced apple purée until smooth. Fill glass with ice, then slowly pour in 85 g sparkling wine. Stir briefly, top with a splash of soda water, and garnish with a sprig of rosemary and a slice of apple, if desired.
Notes
Committed to this collection by the hand of Hunter.
The recipe is flexible, but for the fullest flavour, it's best to use more than one variety of apple. If you have access to heirloom apples, Rhode Island Greenings, Roxbury Russets and Ribston Pippins are lovely options — but McIntosh and Granny Smith are also reliable grocery store picks. Because this recipe yields enough of the apple mixture to make 8 to 10 drinks, it's also ideal for holiday entertaining: Prep a batch of the easy purée up to a day ahead of time and the rest will be simple to assemble. Or use it as the base of a festive punch. Just don’t skip the rosemary garnish: The scent really adds to the drinking experience.
