S.W. and Rich Hermansen
Guest Writers
wine@lbknews.com
Many households keep a bottle or box of white or Rosé wine in the fridge during summer months. Unlike red wines, the whites and Rosé stay fresh for a week or more. A light wine helps set the tone for a holiday afternoon or anytime evening outside on a porch or gazebo.
With summer wines close at hand, a creative home bartender will find it easy to follow an old tradition and give a lighter touch to drinks containing neutral spirits such as vodka, gin, white rum, cognac, or Brazilian white Cachaça brandy. The circa 1915 French 75 drink created by bartender Harry MacElhone at the New York Bar in Paris comes to mind:. It takes its name from the French 75mm field artillery gun used in World War I. A classic recipe has gin, lemon juice, simple syrup sweetener, and French Champagne. A strong version has the kick of its namesake.
The Wine Spritzer dates back to the 19th Century in Veneto, Italy. The current version adds a spritz (splash) of sparkling water to a Pinot Grigio or similar white wine and a bitter liqueur such as Aperol. This refreshing apéritif usually holds the dosage of alcohol to a minimum.
The exact measures of ingredients added to a wine in spirits seems more a matter of taste than a recipe, or, in some instances a matter of what one has available. An half ounce of 90 proof white rum and fresh blueberries and raspberries converts a Pinot Gris/Grigio to a healthy salute to the Stars and Stripes.
A small pour of light spirits and a few sweet garnishes will transform a cheap wine into a festive drink. Don’t adulterate a good wine that will stand on its own unless it has overstayed its welcome. Go with ordinary wines that have enough acidity to blend citrus and stone fruit tastes with neutral spirits.
Dashes of sweet and bitter liqueurs such as sweet Triple Sec or bitter Compare offset the sweet tastes of berries and tropical fruit in Sangria and other mixtures of fruit juice and off-dry wine. Drops of intense Angostura or aromatic Peychaud bitters draw on the bartender’s secret for adding complex flavors to wines in spirits cocktails. Blends of interesting tastes give the home bartender the opportunity to improvise and innovate.
In our quest to concoct intriguing drinks with lower levels of alcohol and complex flavors, 
wines with alcohol by volume of around 15% or less substitute for spirits with 80 proof (40% alcohol) or more and add a different set of tastes to a drink. A satisfying drink that substitutes wine for spirits in a Mimosa (sparkling wine and orange juice), a Bellini (sparkling wine and peach puree), or a Caipirinha with wine and agave nectar (mulled lime slices and Cachaça) offer healthier alternatives to popular cocktails containing 1.5 to 2 ounces of spirits.
Wine in spirits enhances summer drinks. Creative uses of sparkling and still wines adds interesting tastes while reducing in many cases the alcohol content per glass.
Try substituting sweet or off-dry wines for sugar or simple syrup, substituting sparkling wine for club soda and part of a pour of spirits, and using bitter liqueurs or bitters to replace a second ounce of spirits. You may find a better tasting and healthier drink.
S. W. Hermansen has used his expertise in econometrics, data science and epidemiology to help develop research databases for the Pentagon, the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Agriculture, and Health Resources and Services. He has visited premier vineyards and taste wines from major appellations in California, Oregon, New York State, and internationally from Tuscany and the Piedmont in Italy, the Ribera del Duero in Spain, the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale in Australia, and the Otego Valley in New Zealand. Currently he splits time between residences in Chevy Chase, Maryland and St. Armand’s Circle in Florida.
Rich Hermansen selected has first wine list for a restaurant shortly after graduating from college with a degree in Mathematics. He has extensive service and management experience in the food and wine industry. Family and friends rate him as their favorite chef, bartender, and wine steward. He lives in Severna Park, Maryland.
