-
Italian Strawberry Spritz
We had a delicious, refreshing strawberry spritz at Marina Grande in Sorrento, Italy and I did my best to recreate it. It’s perfect for a summer cocktail party!
Sorrento Italy Two key components of this cocktail are the strawberry infused white vermouth and Italicus.
White Vermouth – this is not the dry vermouth you use in your martini. Look for white vermouth (vermouth blanca or bianco) which has crisp floral and citrus notes. If you have trouble finding white vermouth, Cocchi Americano Bianco is a great substitute in this cocktail.
Italicus – This is an Italian liquor made from herbs. It’s expensive, but there’s really nothing else with a similar profile. (I use Italicus in another delicious cocktail, the Italicus Spritz, if you’re looking for ways to use up the bottle.)
A day or two before you want to make this cocktail, infuse the white vermouth (or Cocchi Americano Bianco) with fresh strawberries. Wash the strawberries, remove the green stems and slice up the strawberries into quarters. Place the strawberries in a large Mason jar and pour the white vermouth over the strawberries. Seal and let sit on the counter for at least 24 hours. Shake every 4 – 6 hours to redistribute the strawberries and help the infusion process. Once the strawberries have lost most of their color and are looking a little mushy, pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer, capturing the infused vermouth. (The longer you infuse the strawberries in the vermouth or Cocchi, the pinker your spritz will be.) Pour the strawberry infused vermouth back into the Vermouth bottle or a Mason jar and chill. Discard the strawberries.
Recipe:
1 1/2 parts strawberry infused white vermouth or Cocchi Americano Bianco
1 part Italicus
3 parts processo
1 part club soda
Combine in a wine glass over ice, stir gently, garnish with strawberry slices.
Italian Strawberry Spritz Salud!
Click on the three lines to the left of the word “lifestyle” at the top of this page and enter your email address to receive notifications by email when I post something new on this blog. Also, follow me on Instagram at cocktailsandgratitude for photos of cocktails, food, flowers, my pets and travel.
-
Someday We Will Travel Again… Where Do You Want To Go?
When you start thinking / dreaming about vacation travel, read through my blog posts for tips and look through some of my favorite places for suggestions of places to stay, things to do, restaurants to try, etc. (The blue words and photos below will take you to my previous blog posts with more information.)
Choosing a Travel Destination: Read this post to help you determine where you want to go. Obviously post Covid, other considerations are:
- Am I comfortable flying or do I need to pick a place where I can drive?
- What are the Covid rates where I would like to visit?
- Is the place I want to go allowing visitors and, if so, are there any requirements before or after I travel like Covid testing and / or quarantine? State and local health department websites are your best resource. Keep in mind that restrictions can change rapidly depending on local conditions. Check back for updates as your trip gets closer.
How To Get There and Where To Stay: This post will help you decide what kind of accomodations will best suit you. Post Covid, additional considerations are:
- Are the restaurants open where I’m traveling? Do I want to go out to eat in a restaurant or get take-out every night? If not, you’ll need a suite, condo or house with a kitchen.
- Am I comfortable being with groups of other people at the pool or in the lounge areas of a hotel? If not, consider a house with a private pool.
If you choose to rent a house or condo read my post How to Choose a Vacation Rental and Make it Feel Like Home or at least feel like your own space while you’re there. These tips are especially helpful if you’re staying in the same place for several weeks.
Another good reminder is to make sure your travel is fully refundable if there is a surge in Covid rates or if someone in your group becomes ill. I heard a rumor that airfare will no longer be automatically refundable / changeable after March 2021.
Below are some domestic travel destinations to consider. I’ve been to all of these places, but I didn’t write a blog post for all of them. Feel free to contact me for more information on any of these destinations by commenting below or direct messaging me.
Napa Valley 
We love combining Pebble Beach and Carmel Valley. 
Palm Springs & Palm Desert 
Charleston 
Places I’ve stayed in Arizona include Scottsdale and Sedona. 
Places I’ve stayed in Florida include: Rosemary Beach, Naples and Anna Maria Island. 
Chicago – I can’t believe I haven’t written a post about Chicago! I will write a travel guide once everything opens back up and I know what places survived the pandemic. When you are willing to fly, here are a few other places to consider.
Maui 
Turks & Caicos 
We went to Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Stockholm in one trip. 
Places I’ve stayed in Canada include: Toronto, Montreal and Quebec City. 
Places I’ve stayed in Scotland include: Inverness, St. Andrews and Edinburgh. 
Spain – I visited a friend in Barcelona and Mallorca de Palma. 
Places I’ve stayed in Italy include Milan, Santa Margherita, Florence, Rome, Cortona, Maranello and Venice. 
One of my favorite beach destinations is San Jose del Cabo in Baja California. It’s a quick, direct flight for us and there are great golf courses for John. I’m dreaming of an extended stay in Italy. We’ll see when Covid allows this, but creating a Italy Trip Board on VRBO and saving Italian Villas in Umbria helps get me through the cold, frozen winter in Saint Paul and Chicago.
I’ve also read a lot of fictional books this last year that were set in the coastal towns of France, so that’s an area of interest as well.
Once you are comfortable traveling, where is your dream vacation destination?
You May Also Like
Visiting Napa Valley
-
Book (and Cocktail) Recommendations
While everyone’s travel has come to a halt, consider ordering or downloading a book set in a beautiful, fun destination – maybe some place you’ve always wanted to visit. And, since almost everyone is looking forward to happy hour right now, I’ve suggested a cocktail to go with each location!
Nantucket / Martha’s Vineyard: read with a Nantucket Spritz (1 oz tequila, 1 oz Cointreau, 2 oz blood orange juice, 2 oz champagne – chill ingredients, combine and serve in a champagne glass)
The Nantucket Spritz photo and recipe from The Kachet Life The Nantucket Inn by Pamela Kelly (the first of four books in the Nantucket Beach Plum series) – In the first book Lisa Hodges decides to turn her large, waterfront home into a bed and breakfast.
Winter in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand (the first of two books in the Paradise series) – All of Elin’s books are based in Nantucket and I’ve enjoyed them all.
A Beautiful Place to Die: Martha’s Vineyard Mystery #1 by Philip R. Craig – If you’re more of a mystery book reader, this is a nineteen-book series.
Italy: read with a glass of Italian red wine, or an Aperol Spritz (recipe here)
Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes – If you enjoyed the movie, you’ll love the book.
A Vineyard in Tuscany by Ferenc Máté – A very entertaining read about Ferenc and his wife, Candace, restoring a thirteenth-century friary, planting a vineyard and building a winery.
Living in a Foreign Language by Michael Tucker – Remember “L.A. Law” stars Michael Tucker and Jill Eikenberry? This book details their ups and downs buying and renovating a 350-year-old house while trying to learn Italian.
France: read with a glass of well-chilled French rosé, or a French 75 (recipe here)
A Riviera Retreat by Jennifer Bohnet – Jennifer has numerous books based in the French Riviera, all quick easy reads that will have you pulling up a map to see exactly how close Cannes, Antibes, Nice and Monaco are located. I’m definitely adding The French Riviera to my list of future travels.
A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle – Peter recounts the highlights of living in a 200-year-old farmhouse at the base of the Lubéron Mountains. If you enjoy Peter’s writing style, he has numerous books based in Provence.
Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald – If you’re looking to read a classic set in The French Riviera this book is often seen as a follow-up to The Great Gatsby.
Leave a comment with the books you’re reading now. I’m always looking for more suggestions.
Cheers and happy reading!
Click on the three lines to the left of the word “lifestyle” at the top of this page and enter your email address to receive notifications by email when I post something new on this blog. Also, follow me on Instagram at cocktailsandgratitude for photos of cocktails, flowers, my pets and, someday soon, more travel.