photo via the al dente blog

I was searching the blogosphere to find a tantalizing drink recipe, when I found this post by Braiden Rex-Johnson (who has one of the best names ever!) on Amazon’s Al Dente blog, which I’ve talked about before.  And lo and behold, the recipe is by my favorite drink author/expert AJ Rathbun!  I can’t get away from this guy if I tried… then again, why would I even try in the first place?  Besides being a fabulous person, AJ is by far the supreme knower-of-all-things-alcoholic, and the pages of his books are more dog-earred than my copy of Eliot’s The Wasteland from junior year of college.  I still swear by his recipe for sangria from Good Spirits as the best I have ever tasted.

The drink featured on Al Dente is called the Rosé Squirt.  The name makes me giggle each time… perfect for a light-hearted summer evening.  What I like most about the recipe is the anticipation of the maraschino liqueur, which undoubtedly will offset the dryness of the white wine.  Wine cocktails are making a comeback, people!  Guaranteed.

Rosé Squirt
Serves 2

Ingredients:
Ice cubes
2 ounces maraschino liqueur
6 ounces dry rosé
Chilled club soda
2 maraschino cherries, for garnish

Directions:
1. Take two glasses (highball) and fill with ice cubes until 3/4 full.  To each, add one ounce maraschino liqueur and three ounces rosé.  Stir

2. Top with club soda. Give it a swirl, top with a cherry, and sip away!

photo by HaleyFace via flickr

So, I’ve already given a shout-out to AJ Rathbun in a previous post on this blog.  But, I couldn’t resist giving him another.  This week, AJ came to visit us in Boston.  He had two appearances in the city, one on a morning news segment and the other at an anniversary party for How2Heroes.  For both, he was mixin’ up some fine wine cocktails from his new book (aptly titled) Wine Cocktails. 

AJ mentioned to me that he recently returned from a vacation in Italy.  Now, knowing my obsession with all things Italian, I immediately demanded he tell me all his stories.  After regaling me for a while at the lunch table, AJ directed me to his site Spiked Punch.  That night when I returned home, I spent a good hour-and-a-half pouring over his blog, transfixed by the way he describes his adventures, experiences, and (perhaps most importantly) drinks.  A veritable cocktail expert, his knowledge is astounding.  I’m composing an entire catalogue of ones I just have to try!  Add to that his witty, energetic, and entertaining writing style, and you, my friends, have a must-read.  His posts on Italy are making me crave things I never knew to crave: like a bottle of the elusive Viparo that he writes so passionately about.

Check it out!  And don’t hesitate to leave a comment for AJ, he’s incredibly friendly and always up for a good debate about bitters!