A.J. Rathbun - Wine Cocktails: 50 Stylish Sippers That Show Off Your Reds, Whites, and Roses

FOR ALL THE PROFESSIONAL AND HOME BARTENDERS WHO HAVE INTRODUCED ME TO NEW DRINKS (BOTH WITH WINE AND WITHOUT): I'M IN YOUR DEBT FOREVER.

The Harvard Common Press
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Copyright 2009 by A.J. Rathbun
Photographs copyright 2009 by Melissa Punch

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Printed in China
Printed on acid-free paper

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Rathbun, A. J. (Arthur John), 1969
Wine cocktails : 50 stylish sippers that show off your reds, whites, and ross / A.J.
Rathbun.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-55832-407-7 (hardcover : alk. paper)
1. Cocktails. 2. Wine and wine making. I. Title.
TX951.R1755 2009
641.8'74--dc22
2008035421

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Book design by Elizabeth Van Itallie
Photographs by Melissa Punch
Food and drink styling by Stephana Bottom
Prop styling by Loren Simons
Author photographs by Natalie Fuller

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The wine universe, and the wine cocktail universe, is a large, wonderful, diverse place, one I've been lucky enough to spend a lot of time exploring. Even luckier is the fact that the time I've spent there has been shared with an array of fine folks, folks who helped me find my way into and around that universe and who made it a better place to be. While everyone I've had a wine cocktail with gets a big cheer from me, a few people deserve special thanks for the extra help they gave me during my wine cocktail adventures. First and foremost, thanks to Valerie Cimino, editor extraordinaire, who came up with the original idea for this book, and who then provided the direction and assistance needed to make it bubble and sing. Thanks also to Bruce Shaw and the many, many unbelievable people who work at The Harvard Common Press for their cheerful and right-on aid and support. HCPers rule! And you have my thanks forever. In addition, huge props to award-winning photographer Melissa Punch, who makes the drinks look so enticing and who's always a delight to work with, and to copyeditor Debra Hudak for her keen eye. All of you, the next bottle or round's on me.

And speaking of rounds I should buy, my agent Michael Bourret deserves many, because without his guidance, good taste, relentless support, and good cheer, I wouldn't even have been able to get the corkscrew out and start opening those bottles of wine, much less have started shaking and stirring and pouring them into tasty mixes. MB, again and again, thanks for being there for my questions, for helping round out my ideas, and most of all for being in my corner of the bar.

Thinking about people whom I'm blessed to be able to hang out with in a bar (or a backyard) while sipping a wine cocktail, a big thanks to those who tested, tasted, made suggestions, and provided liquid opinions during the writing of this book. I'm seriously charmed to have so many friends who fit into this group, and I hope you know that without you, making these drinks certainly wouldn't have been as much of a kick. There are a few specific folks who deserve their own bottle (or cask) of wine for their assistance, including Jeremy and Megan, Kyla and Mike, Mark and Leslie, Andrea (thanks for the Rosy Navel naming aid), Christi, Cash, my pal and drink-video-making-master Brad, mighty media trainers and pals Lisa Ekus and Sarah Baurle, the supportive Brad P., and my wonderful family near and far (especially my sister Holly, for spreading the Sangria legend around). Wandering within the wine cocktails wouldn't have been nearly as enjoyable without you.

Of course, the wine cocktails wouldn't flow, or the wine cocktail universe be worth visiting, without the continual help and support of one person, my wife, Natalie. Nat, thanks for smiling when the glassware overcame the cabinet space, and for not even batting an eye when the boxes and boxes of wine and liquors showed up, and for always being ready to taste a fresh drink. I'll chill a bottle of Prosecco and open a bottle of Aperol, you grab a couple of glasses, a lemon, and the Sookie dog, and we'll meet in five minutes in the backyard for another wonderful afternoon.

The history of folks gathering to share a toast and a tasty beverage goes back so far as to be untraceable. Let's just say it's been a part of communal existence since gatherings were held in dimly lit caves and fashions tended toward the simple animal skin. Wine has been a part of this celebratory consumption for a good part of history, tracing its lineage back to the 6000 to 5000 BC range from all reports, and present in most cultures since then (from the gregarious Greeks to the rollicking Romans to the ever-loving Egyptians and most folks around before and after them). Wine is more a part of life and history than the car, the telephone, the computer, or any of the other devices so many seem to have a hard time living without. If you're living without a nice relationship with the vino, many throughout our shared human history might say you're not living at all.

But you might not know that mixing wine with other ingredients has long been a part of wine's history as well. First and foremost it was mixed with water, as many ancient cultures thought that drinking straight wine was not only dangerous but bad form. Ask Herodotus, who said that one Cleomenes "lost his senses" and died a horrific death from drinking unmixed wine. Wine was also mixed with fruits, spices, and even honey on occasion in our early history, both to use these ingredients as flavoring agents and to use wine as a preservative (naturally the wine was flavored in this usage as well). This practice in many places didn't change with the passing of time. In Europe, the practice of mixing wine with other ingredients to make scrumptious drinks never stoppedwhich is why you see a variety of modern wine cocktails in France and Italy. The move by these drinks to America has been a long time coming. There has been a resistance from those who think that their wine must be sipped solo. This is a crying shame (if I can get weepy for a second) because you, the drinking public, need to realize the greatness of the wine cocktail.

I can see some of you cringing right now. But stay with me for a bit, and see if I can bring you around (a little trust in your dedicated author, please). First off, it's not like this is a sparkling fresh idea that I'm unearthing like a giant spiritous jewel seeing the light of day for the first time. The classic cocktailians of history, who set down the earliest tomes of cocktail lore, were as a rule well versed in wine, and they stirred and shook combinations that can only be called wine cocktails. A number of the recipes in this very book are updated versions from older books. There's a scrumptious precedence it would be a mistake to ignore. Also, not to get all continental, but when visiting our European pals, there's no shaking of fingers at a tall drink that features both Prosecco and Aperol, for example, or fresh fruit and a sparkling Riesling. Why shouldn't everyone, worldwide, take advantage of these flavor minglings? I say we shouldn't hesitate.

We are in the midst of an ideal time if you like wine and cocktails. There are more and more varietals and varieties of wines available around the world, and more talented folks are taking the time to make excellent wine in all price ranges. At the same time, a vast assortment (expanding daily it seems) of liqueurs and liquors is available, not to mention fresh kiwis, mandarins, and other kinds of fruits, and a range of other mixers, enough to make a cocktail fanatic's head spin. This multinationalism of drinks cannot be ignored. Embrace wine cocktails, from beautiful bubblies to ravishing reds to wonderful whites to sweet sippers and entertaining exotics. You'll soon find yourself riding a Blue Wave, snuggling up to the Lamb's Wool, walking with Lord Charles, and slipping into a Tuxedo. That's the kind of company that lets you not only be a part of history, but also lets you host truly historical parties, festivities that are remembered long after the last drop. So let go of your preconceived notions and enter the world of wine cocktails. Once you learn more about it, you'll definitely want to visitand you may never want to leave.