Hotel STARLINO Rosé

The perfect Aperitivo with Hotel STARLINO Rosé

Distilled in Turin, the birthplace of the Aperitivo (Italy’s happy hour), Hotel STARLINO Rosé is a charming new addition to the cocktail menu, wherever your staycation may be taking place this summer. With bars and restaurants across Europe facing either a precarious reopening or remaining a while longer behind closed shutters, those used to enjoying a refreshing cocktail to celebrate a warm evening on an Italian piazza may find themselves quenching their thirst at home instead. The release of the Hotel STARLINO new range is thus aptly timed, providing drinkers with a taste of a northern Italian summer enjoyed at the cusp of the Alps or a night spent enjoying the bars and eateries of Turin’s central gridded streets.

Gathered on our garden lawn on a hot summer’s evening, recreating our own Aperitivo terrace, we were excited to discover whether  STARLINO Rosé would offer a fresh twist to already popular summer drinks such as the Aperol spritz. Mixing our Rosé with two parts tonic water, we enjoyed its subtle and sweet taste which complemented the bitter fizz of the mixer. Light in touch, the fruity aroma gave plenty of hints as to the botanicals in the recipe. At the distillery in Piedmont, North-eastern Italy, Rosé wine is mixed with pink grapefruit, orange and lemon peel as well as Italian raspberries and strawberries plus eight botanicals including wormwood, elderflower and coriander. Its delicately pink blush in the glass matched the stunning hue of the candy floss clouds as the sun set.  STARLINO Rosé will make an exciting new feature on any Instagram page. Other suggested cocktails, in addition to the rosééand tonic, include a STARLINO Rosé spritz, STARLINO Rosé cosmopolitan and STARLINO Rosé royale. The rosé can also be enjoyed on the rocks.

The Hotel STARLINO range was concocted by Denis Muni and Beppe Ronco, both hailing from Italy’s Piedmont Region. In addition to the Rosé, the range includes the Rosso Vermouth and the Arancione. The Turin-based duo has worked at the Torino Distillati for over twenty years, and the architecture of the famous distillery has inspired the attractive shape of the heavy, apothecary shaped, frosted glass bottles closed with a ceramic and wooden stopper, calling to mind an antique doorknob. To further the travel and hospitality theme, the front label resembles an old fashioned luggage label while the label on the back of the bottle is shaped like an elegant ‘Do Not Disturb’ door hanger. There are markings on the sides of the bottle which represent the elevator floor indicators from Hotel STARLINO. Where in Turin was this hotel, I wondered? Could I book a room for a holiday? It sounded beguiling with a dramatic staircase and view of the Monsivo mountains. The architecture is turn of the 20^th century, a style known in Italy as Stile Liberty and famous in Turin.  Sadly there is no room at the inn. The distillery is referred to as a ‘hotel’ as it receives such a volume of visitors.  I will have to pay a visit to the distillery when in Turin even if I cannot stay for the night.

At an ABV of 17%, STARLINO Rosé appealed for its relatively low alcohol content which is sure to be yet another selling point. I topped up our cocktails with tonic, but you could get your Spritz on and pop the cork on a bottle of sparkling wine instead.

With decades of career experience in Vermouths and Aperitivos, Muni and Ronco aimed to create a Rosé which had a “really fresh and natural flavour”. They have succeeded with aplomb, and we look forward to trying STARLINO Rosé in new and exciting combinations. I will certainly be keeping STARLINO Rosé in mind throughout the summer for once the bottle is empty it will be upcycled as my water jug for my dining table. It’s that classy.

STARLINO Rosé is available from Amazon and Master of Malt. RRP: £23é

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Hotel STARLINO Rose and Tonic

Prep Time

5 mins

Total Time

5 mins

 

A refreshing aperitivo with a pink blush and mix of citrus and botanicals

Course: Cocktail

Keyword: Aperitif

Servings: 2 people

Author: Hotel STARLINO

Ingredients

• 1 part STARLINO Rose
• 3 parts tonic
• 2 slices grapefruit or orange use as a garnish

Instructions

1. Fill a glass with ice.

2. Add the STARLINO Rose and tonic water

3. Garnish with a slice of grapefruit

4. Serve with Italian nibbles.