Postino WineCafe (www.postinowinecafe.com), the collection of restaurants known for its extensive, seasonally-changing menu of unique wines and craft beers served in a welcoming, come-as-you-are atmosphere, just rolled out its first-ever cocktail menu.
Offered Saturdays and Sundays starting at 9am, this compact Brunch Cocktail Menu features three different riffs on the classic Aperol Spritz, plus a beer-spiked spin on the Mimosa, and a Sherry Mary.
And in keeping with Postino’s focus on craft beers and boutique wines, all five cocktails are spirits-free, and instead feature fortified wines, aperitifs and exotic beers, perfect for pairing with Postino’s shareable, craveable brunch dishes.
As a beer and wine establishment, we felt we’d done everything we could to showcase the great diversity of those offerings, from proprietary wines and boutique producers, to local and nationally beloved craft beers.
But we felt we were leaving a particular guest out to dry, and made a commitment to better serve those who are passionate about craft cocktails.
– Beverage Director, Brent Karlicek
Starting with 20 potential cocktails, the Postino team honed the list down via a series of tastings, constructing the cocktail menu.
Similar to the way you build a wine list. Starting with our most light, refreshing cocktail, the Killer Queen’s fizzy, fruity blend of Moscato and Cocchi Americano, then building up to more structured body and increasing intensity of flavors such as the ’Lectric Eye made with Cappelletti and Dolin Blanc vermouth
And because no brunch is complete without a Bloody Mary, we experimented with countless varieties trying to find the perfect fortified-wine recipe.
But it wasn’t until we tried the combination of two of our favorite complex and layered fortified wines, Oloroso Sherry and Rainwater Madeira, that we found that most perfectly satisfying umami flavor.
– Beverage Director, Brent Karlicek
Madeira is a fortified wine exclusively made on the Portuguese island of Madeira, off the coast of Africa.
But despite the bold flavors, Karlicek says Postino’s brunch cocktail program is also specifically designed to feature lower alcohol offerings than traditional spirits-based cocktails.
Launching a brunch cocktail menu built around spritzes and other lower alcohol beverages is a great way to let guests continue to sip and savor and keep the party going, compared to more robust spirits-based cocktails that may take your afternoon off-track.
– Beverage Director, Brent Karlicek
