Consider low- to no-alcohol cocktails for brunches
May 10—Post-COVID-19, it seems like we are re-learning being out in public. It's probably unseemly and unsafe to be tipsy early in the day.
This is how brunch can bite you. The weekend, rich foods, nice weather and company invites over-imbibing.
One of my favorite wines for brunch or anytime is Portugal low-alcohol, fizzy white wine, Vinho Verde, whose alcohol content is never in the double digits. We may think the difference between an 8 % alcohol wine and a 14 % alcohol wine is just six percentage points. But that means the Napa Red has 75 % more alcohol than a Vinho Verde.
I never had a disappointing Vinho Verde. Gazelle NV Vinho Verde has lime and nectarine character and a clean finish. I tend to like a bit more fizz than this offered. Make sure to serve very cold. $11. 1/2
The Aperol Spritz got so popular that Aperol shortages were reported recently, reminiscent of the great 2010 Angostura bitters shortages. (Both were fake news.) Aperol is a beverage bitter brand with less umph than its big sister Campari and half the alcohol. In Italy, they enjoy Aperol on ice as an aperitif (a drink before the meal), which is where Aperol gets its name.
The Aperol Spritz is a 3-2-1 cocktail, with three parts sparkling wine (Prosecco or another inexpensive bubbly is fine), two parts Aperol and one part club soda served on ice with an orange slice.
The result is a drink with an intense candied orange flavor, slightly herbal and has hints of vanilla. Add more soda to moderate the impact even more.
The Bocce Ball is a screwdriver with a little something-something. Instead of just vodka and orange juice, the Bocce Balls adds in some Amaretto, the nutty liqueur. What could be wrong with that?
I made the Bocce Ball with fresh-squeezed orange juice. It was still sweet enough. The combination of 1.5 ounces of vodka, 1/2 ounce of Amaretto, 5 ounces of orange juice, topped with club soda for some fizz on ice reduced the juice for a stronger drink. The Bocce Ball is creamy with ripe orange and vanilla flavors like a creamsicle.
An abundance of low- to no-alcohol cocktail solutions help keep the party going.
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