This cocktail was created in December of 2020, the closing of a stranger season in a stranger time. Sitting shoulder to shoulder with the embers of s smoldering bonfire, we found ourselves contemplating what would come of this earth with the cresting of spring.

In this cocktail we take two of our favorite Virginia-local producers, Rosemont Vermouth and Patois Cider, to craft something simple and slightly forlorn; an introspective pause in the interim between years.

  • 1 oz Rosemont Vermouth
  • 3 oz Patois Perry
  • 1 oz Trabanco Alma Quinquina
  • 1 dash Artemisia Æstas Bitters
  • Orange Rind, for garnish
  1. Mix Quinquina, Vermouth, and Bitters in a rocks glass with ice.
  2. Add perry, stir briefly, and garnish with an orange rind.
Æstas
Featured Bitters
Æstas
Like a young satyre just come of age, Æstas sheds the immaculate poise of spring. Blood-red sumac blossoms curl skyward, a crown shorn of their downy buds. Antlers pare from their velvet, baring tempered strength, a decorated insignia armoring the wood.
Contributed by 
Kelly Allen
Kelly’s approach is one of “eros as practice,” fueled by a degree in sustainable agriculture from the notoriously alternative Goddard College. A subsequent station as an AmeriCorps volunteer working in Native foodway preservation solidified her dedication to cultural and ecological sustainability. She fell in love with wine while working as a viticulture apprentice in Northern Virginia. Her heart has been in the grapes ever since.