Inspiration Sunset in Milan

This cocktail is inspired by the infamous “Aperitivo” culture and the world’s best place for it – Milan.  This easy-to-prepare non-alcoholic cocktail is light, tasty, and the perfect segue from afternoon to evening.

This is loosely based on the grandfather of the Negroni, the Mi-To, which is a mix of equal parts Campari and sweet vermouth. The name “Mi-To” comes from Milano-Torino, Milan being where Campari is made, and Turin being the birthplace of Italian sweet vermouths. This massively overlooked drink paved the way for a whole category of cocktails and showcases its elegance in its simplicity.

In this recipe we substitute the Campari for a non-alcoholic red bitter that can be found in grocery stores, online, or at your local bar supply store.

Vermouth, at its core, is a wine that’s been aromatized with herbs and botanicals and fortified to bring up the alcohol content. We are going to replicate our own using Four O’Clock® tea and dealcoholized wine. Non-alcoholic wine has come a long way in recent years, with some brands making full wine that then goes through a process of “dealcoholizing” which removes almost all if not all of the alcohol. Those are the wines we want to use as they will have similar complexities to alcoholic wine.

By using Four O’Clock® Spicy Orange Organic Fairtrade Rooibos, we are going to essentially aromatize our “vermouth” utilizing the wonderful cinnamon, clove, and orange notes featured in this tea that in turn mimic the flavours often found in alcoholic vermouths.

Dried orange peel will add a hint of bitterness and will bring balance to some of the sweetness. It’s important to note that this mocktail is best enjoyed when both the “vermouth” and the red bitter are chilled in the fridge.

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