cheers
A STUNNING SPARKLER Sip on Spiga Cucina Italiana’s Santo Frizzante BY ALISON BAILIN BATZ
T
PHOTO BY DEBBY WOLVOS
hough less than two years old, Spiga Cucina Italiana has quickly become a go-to wine bar and lounge in North Scottsdale. One major reason? The spectacular happy hour cocktail list. “Because our aim is to showcase the best food and drink from Italy, Portugal and Spain, people often assume we are all about the wine,” says Beverage Manager Brandon Thompson. “And while it is true that we have an eye-popping 2,350-bottle wine collection with some of the rarest vintages from across the Mediterranean, we’ve taken great care to craft a cocktail menu to similarly impress our guests.” Among the most impressive to the palate: the Santo Frizzante, literally translated as “holy fizzy.” And fizzy it is! “With the Santo Frizzante, we aimed to create something a little bubbly, a little bold and very refreshing,” Thompson says. Thompson’s recipe begins with a vodka base. He then adds both grapefruit juice and elderflower liqueur, and then tops it with a heavy pour of prosecco. Served in a martini glass, it looks as sleek and seductive as it tastes. “Upon first tasting the cocktail, guests always note the bubbles from the prosecco, which tickle the taste buds,” Thompson says. “But then the flavors of both the elderflower – which has subtle notes of pear and passionfruit – and the grapefruit take over, resulting in a perfectly balanced sip. Not too sweet and not too dry, it’s just refreshing, especially on a spring day.” Spiga Cucina Italiana, 7500 E. Pinnacle Peak Road; Scottsdale; 480.513.9000; www.spigaaz.com. SO SCOTTSDALE! |
SS_76_79Cuisine_Cheers_Apr16.indd 78
78
| APRIL 2016
3/28/16 7:48 PM