PARROT TALK

I gotta tell ya. you’re probably not gonna order an Aperopl spritzer in the Green Parrot.

But I will say is when I stepped out of The Parrot, while it wasn’t steamy, there’s no doubt it was summer,it might have been the last remnants of the day’s heat coming off the asphalt on Whitehead street as I walked to my car, or it might have been the fact that I was able to park on Whitehead St. right outside the bar, another sign go summer.

Or it might have been the crimson flowers of the Royal Poinciana tree outside the liquor store, as well as the ones queued up looking south on  Whitehead or, or maybe that one Poinciana somewhere in the middle of the block behind the lawyers office, commanding one’s attention.
All were sure-signs of summer, as sure a sign as the glass-like seas, gin-clear flats and the towering thunderheads that piled up around our island last weekend.

But back to the Spritzer, the Aperol Spritzer to be exact, touted as the #1 cocktail in Italy, as much for refreshing qualities as it’s simplicity.
I digress, the real denoumat of this story is that the few items I packed home from Green Parrot Package Goods and Spirits that evening were so satisfying, so perfecto, that I’m sharing the recipe even though It almost doesn’t have a recipe.

While not as easy as an equal parts recipe, (my favorite proportions in so many things, from pizza dough to cocktails), but it couldn’t really be much easier, how about 3-2-1. The 3-2-1 is three parts Proseco, (I prefer De Marca). two parts Aperol (no substitute), and one part club soda (you pick).

But  wait,  it gets better, there’s the Goldilocks element:  according to http://leitesculinaria.com/94670/recipes-prosecco-and-aperol-cocktail.html i.e., research shows there’s a rather large variance in the amount of Aperol you can choose to use, practice makes perfect. And when you do find your sweet spot, well, we’re hearing comments such as “an elegant and classic cocktail” and “a combination that’s magical in all ways.” Yep. That’s what folks are saying about this lovely little concoction”

They continue:”As can be seen with this Prosecco and Aperol cocktail, the Italians are masters at distilling herbal, citrus, and vegetal flavors into intensely colorful bitters and liqueurs (and cleverly bottling them with the best labels in the business!). Balanced with a little sweetness, these odd flavors, typically low in alcohol, are used to make classic Italian aperitifs (the Negroni and Americano are the best known of the group). Like any good herbal concoction, they aid and stimulate the appetite—just the job of an aperitif. Aperol has a bittersweet orange flavor. We like the way its bitterness balances the slight sweetness of Prosecco>.–Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hirsheimer

So, summers here, at least from from where I sit, it looks like the pros outweigh the cons!