Capasso is the Italian red bitter aperitivo from Distillerie Vincenzi, a family house making liqueurs in Turin since 1930. It took gold in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Las Vegas, and it comes by the full liter, which is the size you actually want when you are pouring spritzes for a crowd.

Mood: Bittersweet. Sunlit. Social.

Tasting notes

Deep ruby red in the glass, with a nose of bitter orange peel and candied citrus over a light herbal edge. The palate leads sweet and then turns, with orange, gentle baking spice, and the clean bitterness that makes an aperitivo work. The finish is dry and bitter-orange, short enough to leave you ready for the next sip.

How to drink it

The spritz is the point. Three parts sparkling wine, two parts Capasso, a splash of soda, plenty of ice and a slice of orange. It also works straight over ice before a Shabbos or Yom Tov meal, and it stands in nicely wherever a recipe calls for a red bitter aperitivo. Good alongside olives, salty crackers, and anything you would put out before people sit down.

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