One of the best things about traveling is the opportunity to try new places and ingredients. On a trip to Dot Dot Dot in Charlotte, NC last year I had the opportunity to try a cocktail featuring an ingredient called Cappelletti.
My first exposure was in a drink made by Britt Clark, Few of My Favorite Things. The drink combines Vida mezcal, Green Chartreuse, Cappelletti, lemon, champagne, sugar, and served over a large cube. The drink is a beautiful orange shade thanks to the Cappelletti. The mix of orange and smokey mezcal blend with lemon and hints of sweetness. The bitter herbal character and smoke balance and are elevated with the bubbles. After I tasted it, I couldn’t help but ask, ‘So what is Cappelletti?’
About Aperitivo Cappelletti
Made in Italy (near Trento) this aromatized wine is known as ‘Il Specialino’ to locals. It’s used in a variety of applications – from making a less sweet Negroni to refreshing spitz. Thanks to the acidity, it can also seem somewhat lighter than its liqueur based cousins and wouldn’t require a liquor license (merely beer & wine). The color comes from carmine (if that sort of thing matters to you).
Haus Alpenz has put together this amazingly robust – and somewhat wanderlust overview of it.
Tasting Notes:
All of those wonderful things don’t really explain why you’d want to actually drink Cappelletti. So let me break it down. Cappelletti is a bright, punchy – slightly bitter – orange aperitif that adds a punchy citrus bitter element to a drink. It’s lighter than traditional amaros and is less overbearing.
Sight: A ruby grapefruit color tinted with hints of orange.
Smell: Bitter oranges, almost tangerine or mandarian like mix with subtle herbal qualities. The citrus like character is complex – and has a little bit of wine like character too it
Sip: The body is light and vibrant with plenty of acidity. Sweetness roll in and pulls through with tons of citrus character. The citrus character ranges between orange, ruby grapefruit, and mandarins. The sweetness is almost candy like, and keeps many of the bitter herbal notes placated.
Savor: The finish pulls through the amaro side, bringing with herbal notes. The finish lingers for a good period of time, bring in more orange peel, pith, and candied flavors to compliment the bitter herbal notes.
Cappelletti is a beautiful, complex orange aromatized wine that’s a great stepping stone for those that love Aperol. The sweetness here is slightly tuned down, but still packed with flavor thank to the wonderful brightness given by its wine base. As it is a wine-based aperitif, remember to keep it in the fridge after opening, where it will stay good for 6-8 weeks.