Sherry, aperitifs and digestifs

Grappa and eau de vie
grappa 6.00 and eau de vie 5.00 – all 35ml measures
Po’ di Poli Elegante: this is Ruth’s all-time favourite grappa. It’s
made from pinot noir grapes which give it great character and
depth of flavour. Best of all, it is superbly slinky and suave.
Po’ di Poli Morbida: made from white muscat grapes, this grappa
is mellow, broad and smooth, with slightly citrus notes.
Poli Miele 35%: a curiosity – grappa infused with honey and herbs
and more like a liqueur, so not as challenging perhaps.
Eau-de-vie Poire Williams 43%, Trimbach: made in Alsace, as the
best eau-de-vie are, the flavour of pear rings clear and true in this
clean spirit. (And it takes 28kg of pears to make 1 litre!)
Eau-de-vie Framboise 40%, G Miclo: the unmistakeable aroma
and flavour of (wild) raspberries.
Eau-de-vie Abricot 40%, G Miclo: ripe apricots are nigh on
impossible to find but not in the form of this water-of-life.
Violette 18%, G Miclo: crazy flavour (like violet creams) and a
stunning colour – also a liqueur rather than a spirit.
Drinks before …
… and after dinner
Good sherry and …
try a 70ml glass as an aperitif
or with cichetì in the bar
Manzanilla, La Gitana, Hidalgo: served chilled, manzanilla is as
dry as a bone but with a slightly salty, biscuity nuance. It’s
particularly good with tapas and seafood. 5.00
Puerto Fino, Lustau: fino is always a dry and elegant sherry but
this one is a real class act with great length and smoothness, as
well as a typical almond edge. It’s marvellous as an aperitif and,
just like manzanilla, goes well with shellfish. 5.00
Amontillado Napoleon, Hidalgo: a medium-dry sherry with a
full-flavoured, nutty, rich finish. It’s terrific with mushrooms and
nuts as well as rich offal dishes. 5.00
East India Solera, Lustau: a cream sherry but hugely better than
the usual stuff as it’s barrel-aged and has some complexity as
well as a pleasing nuttiness – which is also why it costs a bit
more than run-of-the-mill cream sherries. 6.00
Blandy’s Alvada 5-year-old Madeira: no, not a sherry but a
wonderful madeira made from 50% Bual and 50% Malmsey grapes,
and aged naturally in oak casks. With hints of chocolate, raisins,
toffee and molasses, it is really lush but with a fine acidity and a
long, bright, honied finish. Exceptionally drinkable. 6.00
… other aperitifs
as we do not have a mixologist, we
regret we can’t serve other cocktails!
Tippled Pink: a lightly blushed cocktail based on a 35ml measure
of Adnam’s engaging Copper House gin and a drop of blackcurrant
liqueur, liberally iced and topped up with sparkling elderflower
bubbly. It makes a jolly nice, long, summer drink. 7.00
Aperol Spritz: a trendy ‘sharpener’ made with two parts bitters,
three parts prosecco and a splash of soda. 7.00
Bellini: a frivolous, feminine and undeniably sweetish cocktail made
famous by Harry’s Bar in Venice. We make it properly with white
peach juice and good prosecco, see below. 175ml flute 9.00
Prosecco, Villa Sandi, Valdobbiadene: this is a smashing prosecco,
and perfect for quaffing on its own. Refined, well-structured, full
of fruit and with the merest hint of residual sugar, it makes a
perfect, uplifting aperitif. 175ml flute 9.00
Perriet-Jouët Grand Brut: our house champagne is a Grand
Marque, so proper stuff! It has a delightful ‘brioche’ nose, soft
bubbles (aka mousse), slightly citrus notes and great structure.
Most importantly, it has a feminine charm. 150ml flute 12.00
Mad Men Classic Martini: heavy on the (70ml) gin or vodka and
very light on the vermouth, this is a no-messing martini. 9.00