Dining and sophisticated cocktails go together with palate-pleasing synchronicity. Four new cocktail recipes from Chef Paul Prinsloo and Founder of NonSoloCocktails, mixologist Mattia Pastori using Sanpellegrino Italian Sparkling Drinks as mixers, will certainly bring the valleys of Italy right to your doorstep – or the romance, right to your lips… Whichever your preference

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA MAY 2021 – Deliciously fresh and zesty, Sanpellegrino Italian Sparkling Drinks are sparking cocktail inspiration and innovation, as premium mixers with the perfect acidity balance. Chef Paul Thinus Prinsloo, sous-chef at Gåte Restaurant and S.Pellegrino Young Chef 2019 Africa and Middle East Regional winner, has created two vibrantly layered cocktails appealing to the professional mixologist, which are part of the newly launched autumn seven-course dinner menu at Gåte on Quoin Rock wine estate. Mixologist Mattia Pastori, founder and owner of NonSoloCocktails took a consultancy route by taking care of the start-up of successful concepts such as Bulk Mixology Bar inside the Viu hotel and the take-over of Camparino at the Galleria in Milan, Italy. He also shares two of his Sanpellegrino simple cocktail recipes showcasing Italian citrus flavours in style, both can be easily re-created at home.

Paul Prinsloo turns his fine-dining focus to cocktail mixology.

“Anyone can mix Sanpellegrino Italian sparkling drinks with some gin and MCC to create a cocktail,” says Chef Paul Prinsloo, “but me being me, it had to be complex, the flavour profile had to be something nobody had used before.” Inspired by the autumn/winter earthiness of the Jerusalem artichoke, which has a short season of about two months in South Africa, he immersed himself in the mixology process and created his own artichoke extract using slow sous-vide cooking. “You have the flavour of the artichokes coming through, a bit of smokiness and cardamom, as well as the flavour of the gin, with the MCC that Quoin Rock produce,” he says. “The Sanpellegrino Limonata has a really good flavour profile, it gives a very nice mouthfeel and activates the salivary glands, both important factors in mixology. You’re triggering all the taste buds in the mouth, so you want to savour every sip.”

Cocktail Recipe 1. Sanpellegrino meets Jerusalem Artichoke.

This cocktail is served as a welcome drink for guests at Gåte Restaurant before their seven-course autumn dinner menu. Paul says it also pairs well with the earthy flavours of the springbok or the lamb dishes on their newly launched menu.

Although this cocktail is designed as a showstopper for a bar or restaurant with the professional mixologist in mind, you can re-create it at home if you have a sous-vide bath and the patience to wait 24 hours to produce the artichoke extract.

INGREDIENTS

• 25ml Knorhoek Gin
• 15ml triple sec
• 80ml Quoin Rock MCC Festive
• 95ml Sanpellegrino Limonata
• 60ml Jerusalem Artichoke extract

For the Jerusalem Artichoke extract:

• 1kg unpeeled Jerusalem artichokes
• 5g cardamom
• 5g Juniper berries
• half a stick fresh liquorice
• 3ml liquid smoke
• 500ml water

*Vacuum pack all artichoke extract ingredients and sous vide at 85C for 24H. Squeeze to extract the liquid.

METHOD

Mix gin, triple sec and artichoke extract together, add Sanpellegrino Limonata, add MCC and stir slowly, pour in a glass.

Cocktail Recipe 2. Quoin Rock Jack.

Paul’s second recipe uses Sanpellegrino Aranciata Rossa and is a play on the traditional Old Fashioned. “I wanted to do something we could serve with the petit fours, like a digestif. We crush ice with Angostura and add whisky to it. The Sanpellegrino Aranciata Rossa is very fresh but has no bitterness so works really well here. Then we add Timut pepper to get that strong flavour that we would get from adding more Angostura, we garnish with a dehydrated slice of blood orange to accent the orange notes.”

 INGREDIENTS

• 5g sugar
• 3 dashes Angostura bitters
• 3g Timut pepper, toasted
• 90ml Sanpellegrino Aranciata Rossa
• 45ml Bourbon
• 1 slice dehydrated blood orange

METHOD

• Add sugar and bitters to a glass and slow stir until sugar is dissolved.
• Add Bourbon and stir slowly. Toast Timut pepper and add to bourbon mix.
• Top up with Sanpellegrino Aranciata Rossa and serve with 3 blocks of ice and a slice of dehydrated blood orange.

With the ideal balance of acidity, real fruit freshness and just enough sweetness, the Sanpellegrino Italian Sparkling Drinks are available in four distinct flavours: Aranciata made from the finest Italian oranges, Aranciata Rossa has a ruby colour with the depth from blood oranges, Limonata from Sicilian lemons with its refreshing flavour profile and Pompelmo from grapefruits, opaque in yellow colour with a bittersweet profile. All of these make excellent mixers for a wide variety of exciting cocktails, not just on World Cocktail Day but all year round.

You can find more cocktail recipes at: https://www.sanpellegrinofruitbeverages.com/intl/citrus/drinks

Shop online in South Africa for Sanpellegrino Italian Sparkling Drinks at www.italiandelionline.co.za