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I know it has been officially summer for almost 3 months, but only for the last month-ish did it start to get really warm in southern California. That being said, I have been all about cold showers, ice baths, and spritzes as of late. Without central AC, the heat waves are NO JOKE. All of my Texas friends and family think I have gone soft, but I gently remind them that it may be hotter there, but it isn’t 85 degrees+ in their actual home, nor is is humid as heck when they are trying to sleep.
Cold water, popsicles and ice have become my best friend, but when I want an adult beverage, all I can think about are spritzes. I have been CRAVING their refreshing nature. Don’t worry red wine, I’ll pick you back up come fall.
A spritz is a sparkling wine based co*cktail, originating in Northern Italy. A traditional spritz includes Prosecco, Aperol, and soda water. To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of the flavor of aperol. I like oranges just fine, but if I’m going to have a citrus beverage, I’d much rather it be lemon, lime, or even grapefruit. Luckily, we have Americanized spritzes to include our own sparkling wine and a lot of them don’t even have Aperol! I will say there’s a restaurant in LA called 40Love and they have a drink called “afternoon delight”. It has blackberry Aperol and is SO GOOD.
Anyway, the spritz that got me into the spritz state of mind is the “Adelaide” co*cktail at Fia in Santa Monica. When I read “gin, fresh citrus, raspberry, ginger, hint of basil, sparkling wine” on the menu, I knew that was the co*cktail for me! If that that doesn’t sound good to you, they actually have 3 other spritz options and tons of other yummy co*cktails. Nick really likes their “Smoke Show” which is basically a mezcal margarita, in addition to the “Shisunami” which is a rum based co*cktail. Honestly you can’t go wrong with any of their drinks!! And enjoying one, while sitting in their little garden oasis of a restaurant? You’ll be in heaven!! Our food favorites are the gem salad, truffle cavatelli, and the Jerusalem artichoke. Get the chocolate dome for dessert! Side note - I haven’t tried the halibut but it is on my list!
We have only been to Fia three times - once for my birthday early August, once late August with friends, and once for happy hour early September. We were so glad that the restaurant held up to our hype the second (and third) time around, because so often restaurants don’t. If you’re in LA and on the west side, definitely make a reservation for their establishment!! I often post what I’m eating and drinking, so I did my normal share and tag on Instagram when we were there. A lot of the time, restaurants don’t respond back. They might repost, but they don’t really say anything. Fia responded each time I shared, so I decided to ask if they would share the Adelaide co*cktail recipe with me, as so many of you DM’ed me when I shared it. Guess what? THEY DID. So today I’m super excited to share with you the recipe so you can make it at home and keep sipping on it for the remainder of summer. Just make sure you actually visit Fia when you’re in town, okay?
1 oz gin*
.75 oz lime juice
.5 oz Liquid Alchemist Raspberry Syrup (I like to put a tad more raspberry in vs ginger)
1 basil leaf
2 oz sparkling white wine
Add the gin, lime juice, raspberry syrup, and ginger syrup to the co*cktail shaker. Throw in the basil leaf and lightly muddle. Add ice, shake, then strain into a glass with ice. Top with 2 oz of sparkling wine and garnish with a lemon wheel and basil leaf. For reference, Fia threads the basil leaf through the center of the lemon wheel.
*Use whatever gin you want prefer! I made this with 3 different gins (Zephyr, Amass, Mulholland) to try them out. While my husband and I have more of an elderberry forward preference, my friends have more of the traditional juniper berry preference. My favorite gin is Zephyr (made in Texas), but a close second is Amass which is actually made here in LA! It is very similar to Zephyr, but I think Zephyr is a little more smooth. My friend’s preference was with the Mulholland gin, which is also made here in LA! It is a more traditional flavor profile and is heavy on the cucumber notes. I don’t own any right now, but The Botanist is another one of my favorite gins and sits more in the middle between traditional and modern gin flavors. If you are looking for a gin that is more readily available everywhere, Hendricks is my top pick.
And that is it! Super easy, tasty, and refreshing. It isn’t too sugary at all, but still has the perfect touch of sweetness from the raspberry syrup. It is well balanced and somewhat savory and bright thanks to the lime and basil. And don’t forget the ginger (and the lemon) - it brings a bit of tartness! Okay just make it alreadyyyy.
When I received the recipe from Fia, I thought about making the syrups myself. It isn’t hard… I’ve been making lots of simple syrups this year anyway… peach, honey, rosemary, you name it! However, I just didn’t feel like it and wanted to be easy. So, I looked up Liquid Alchemist as they mentioned those were the syrups they used. I found that not only were they founded and based here in LA, but they also had great ingredients. Minimal listings on the label and nothing crazy processed like you find in a lot of ready-made-syrups. I decided to reach out to see if they wanted to work together and they graciously sent me some syrups. Their ginger and raspberry are obviously featured here, but I can’t wait to make some fall beverages with their apple spice syrup. I’m also really excited to make a drink with their prickly pear syrup. They also have coconut, tamarindo, grenadine, orgeat, strawberry, and passion fruit.
You can find them on Amazon and at Winehouse, Pavilions and other select stores. If you’re looking to bring them into your bar or restaurant, they are represented by Southern Glazer's Wine and Spirits of America.Grab them in 150 ml bottles, find out what you like, then get the 750ml of your favorites. Don’t forget to place them in the fridge after opening!
Okay gotta run! I need to make one of these spritzes ASAP since we have record breaking temps here in California. Enjoy your labor day weekend!
Check out Fia here. Check out Liquid Alchemist here.
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