MAY'S SPIRIT OF THE MONTH- VESO ALPINE APERITIF

May’s Spirit of the Month is Veso (vay-so) Alpine Aperitif. Made in San Francisco, California by Chris Beyer, this Gruner Veltliner based appetite starter is infused with juniper, fennel, bitter orange, rosemary, cardamom, fresh and dried grapefruit peels, gentian root and black pepper. The result is a spirit that has some qualities that remind me of a London dry gin and a little bit of Green Chartreuse. Bold dry herbs, fennel, juniper and cardamom are the most present I would say, do a good job of drying your tastebuds without making your tongue a desert. Soft stone fruit adds to the body and depth to the aperitif, giving it a bit of a coating sensation on the palate. The finish stays bright and has some vibrancy with hints of grapefruit and orange zest.

An Aperitif like this can be enjoyed in a lot of different ways. You can just drink it on the rocks, add some club soda, maybe even a sparkling wine to give yourself a spritz. For cocktails, substitute a 1/2oz or so of your gin for this in your next gin and tonic. Looking to make a White Negroni? Substitute your Suze for Alpine and see how that strikes your fancy. A suggestion from Chris Beyer and his team on the Veso website; Alpine Daquiri- 2oz Alpine, 1oz lime juice and 1/2oz simple syrup. The Alpine, much like the other expressions from Veso, can play well with a lot of other ingredients for a cocktail, it’s just up to you to figure out what you want to make with it. If you're interested in Veso, or any of our grape-based aperitifs/vermouths, don't forget our tasting on May 18th where we will be pouring multiple Veso expressions and more.