Monday, March 9, 2009

So Long, Winter - A Toast to Spring!

Each year as nature shakes off the heavy cloak of winter, lighter cocktails make a re-appearance inside the home and at the bar, heralding the arrival of spring and the rapid approach of the summer season. When diners can again consider whether they’d like to eat indoors or “al fresco,” friends take brunch out on the patio again and weather permitting, an early evening cocktail hour and dinner can be hosted in the backyard.

Campari, the colorful one-of-a-kind Italian spirit, can be mixed into a variety of classic and contemporary cocktails and served as the ideal accessory for a range of seasonal occasions. This spring, consider experimenting with this unique ingredient, a spirit that has had the same secret recipe since its creation almost 150 years ago. The versatility of this blend of herbs, spices and fruit peels makes Campari a distinctive complement to many spring cocktailing moments, from an Easter celebration to a Mother’s Day luncheon.

Experience the passion of mixologist Manny Hinojosa, who won last year’s Shake It Up: The Battle of the Mixologists competition in Las Vegas with a Campari cocktail. Hinojosa created the Cielo Rosso at the Walnut Creek Yacht Club in San Francisco’s Bay Area, a cocktail which makes a terrific addition to a spring lunch. If you’re a bit more advanced in your bartending abilities, shake up bartender Pete Vasconcellos’ Vermiglio, originally served at Mia Dona in New York.

As April showers awaken deep-buried bulbs to yield May flowers, let the Cielo Rosso and Vermiglio cocktails awaken your senses.

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