Principessa di Sole

There's nothing I love better than cracking open a new cocktail recipe book. More often than not, the entire side and/or top of the book quickly becomes bristly with little post-it tabs marking the drinks I'd like to try. It's true that there are many, many great recipes available on the internet, but there's something special about having the physical books. They're like tomes of potions or magic spells waiting to be mixed up.

If I had my way, I would own pretty much every cocktail recipe book ever published. But since I have a small budget and an even smaller apartment, I've kept my collection to a single shelf. And recently, I was overjoyed to add Maggie Hoffman's Batch Cocktails to it. It's a book of large-format drinks that you can make ahead to serve at parties or get-togethers. I was expecting a lot of citrusy punches full of fruits and syrups, and there are plenty of these, but I was very impressed by how many spirit-forward options Maggie includes as well. It makes sense - once citrus fruit is juiced, the liquid begins to change in acidity and bitterness, so you can't make citrusy cocktails as far in advance as more spiritous drinks, which you can literally age for months. The book is a really balanced collection of recipes (including non-alcoholic options), and I honestly wish it had the proportions for single drinks as well as the large batches, because I definitely want to make some of these just for me, and I'd rather not have to do math.

I freely confess that while the Principessa di Sole did sound delicious, I chose to make it primarily because of its vibrant color and lovely garnish. But I was blown away by this drink. Made with Amaro Montenegro*, white rum, raspberry syrup, citrus juices, and sparkling wine, it is absolutely, utterly delicious. It balances boozy, bitter, citrusy, sweet, and fizzy in just the right way. I will 100% be bringing a pitcher of it to my next party. But in case you don't have any upcoming social engagements, I've also figured out the recipe for a single a drink and included it below. You might wish you'd made yourself a pitcher.

*Alas, we have not talked about Amaro Montenegro much yet, and I usually like to officially introduce an ingredient before I use it so prominently in a cocktail. I discuss it a little in my post on Amari. It's one of the most popular amari out there and definitely one I recommend, but you could try substituting Averna or Cynar here.

History: The Principessa di Sole was created by Elliot Clark of Bon Voyage in San Francisco.

Principessa di Sole

For one cocktail:

1 1/2 oz. Amaro Montenegro
1/2 oz. white rum
1-2 dashes Peychaud's bitters
1/2 oz. raspberry syrup**
1/2 oz. lemon juice
1/4 oz. lime juice
2 oz. sparkling wine

Combine everything except sparkling wine in a shaker with ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice and top with the sparkling wine. Garnish with a mint sprig, a raspberry, and a lime wheel.

For 10 servings:

1 3/4 cups plus 2 tbsp. Amaro Montenegro
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. white rum
2 tsp. Peychaud's bitters
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. chilled raspberry syrup
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. lemon juice
5 tbsp. lime juice
2 1/2 cups chilled sparkling wine
10 mint sprigs
10 raspberries
10 lime wheels

At least 2 hours and up to 24 hours before serving, make the batch. Pour Amaro Montenegro, white rum, bitters, and chilled raspberry syrup into a 2-quart pitcher and stir to mix. Seal well, covering with plastic wrap if needed, and refrigerate.

Up to 2 hours before serving, prepare lemon and lime juice and stir into the pitcher mix. Reseal and return to the refrigerator if not serving immediately.

To serve, stir well. Gently pour in chilled sparkling wine, then stir mixture gently once more. Pour into ice-filled rocks glasses or punch cups. Garnish each glass with a mint sprig, a fresh raspberry, and a lime wheel. (Alternatively, serve in a punch bowl with all the garnishes thrown in - Maggie doesn't recommend this in the recipe but there's a picture of it and it's a beautiful presentation.)

**For raspberry syrup, combine 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water in a saucepan over medium heat and stir constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Add raspberries and stir. Cook for about 2 minutes, using the back of the spoon to mash the raspberries against the side of the pan. Remove from heat and let steep, covered, for 30 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a resealable container and refrigerate until chilled or up to 1 week.

Recipe from Batch Cocktails. I was gifted an advance copy of the book.