How to Use Starlino Bitter Orange for a Refreshing Apéritif or Craft Cocktail

Jul 27

Jul 27 How to Use Starlino Bitter Orange for a Refreshing Apéritif or Craft Cocktail

Just when I thought it was time to move on from my French cocktail series, I received a bottle of Starlino Orange*, an apéritif from Italy. While I think it’s infinitely sippable and wonderfully refreshing on the rocks or in a spritzer, I also decided to try it with one of my herb simple syrups. Read on!

About Starlino Orange Aperitif

Starlino: A bitter orange flavored aperitif that has less alcohol than Campari. In my view, it’s easier to sip on its own than Campari, which I tend always mix with something else.

I’ve written much on how much I love French aperitifs (e.g, see my article on the five best French aperitifs), and I’ve mentioned that the French enjoy Italian apertivos as well. Bitter-orange drinks, such as Campari and Aperol, often make their way onto French apéritif menus.

Starlino Orange has the same bitter-orange appeal … but there are differences:

What Is Starlino Orange (aka Starlino Arancioni)?: This Italian apéritif is made by blending white wine with a distilled spirit flavored from Sicilian blood oranges and other herbs and botanicals.

What Does Starlino Orange Taste Like: With it’s intriguing bitter-orange flavors, it’s quite reminiscent of Campari or Aperol. However, there’s a difference …

Yes. You can sipi this on the rocks. If you wanted to add a little sugar on the rim, that could nicely contrast the bitterness of the drink. An herb garnish will speak to the botanical nature of the sip.

How is Starlino Orange Different Than Campari?: Starlino Orange is made from wine plus a spirit and flavorings. Campari has no wine — it’s made of a distilled spirit and water, with proprietary flavorings. Starlino is lower in alcohol than Campari — 17% compared with around 25%, respectively. However, Starlino has more alcohol than Aperol, which only has about 11% alcohol.

How to Serve Starlino Orange

I’ve tried Starlino Orange three ways:

— Starlino Orange & Tonic: I used one part Starlino Orange and 4 parts Fever Tree Tonic. This is super-refreshing—it’s a nice way to have a lower-alcohol sip than a usual G&T (because Starlino Orange has much less alcohol than gin!), but it’s refreshing and interesting — in that botanical way that gin is refreshing and interesting.

— On the Rocks: In my view, Starlino Orange is easier to sip “on the rocks” than Campari, which is all about bitterness. Starlino is refreshingly bitter, but still very sippable. Being lower in alcohol also helps.

— In my Rosemary Starlino Cocktail: I tried Starlino with a few of the simple syrups I’ve been making. Mint syrup was a dud, sage syrup was nice, but nothing I’d rush back to. Thyme syrup was a good runner-up, but rosemary was the clear winner. It added another botanical layer to the lovely flavors already in the drink. It added a nice angle of sweetness to the insistent bitterness. Here’s the recipe.

Rosemary-Starlino Spritz

Garnish with a rosemary sprig blood orange slice, if you can find one. If not, an orange or lemon slice will do.

2 ounces Starlino Orange Aperitif
3/4 ounce rosemary simple syrup
Ice cubes
Chilled club soda
Rosemary spring

Combine the Starlino and simple syrup in a rocks or wine glass and stir. Add ice cubes and top off with club soda. Garnish with a rosemary spring.

Enjoy! And if you happen to try Starlino Orange, let me know what you think!

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