Contratto Spritz

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This spritz from The Elysian Bar in New Orleans is an ideal aperitif, boasting sweet tangerine, herbal sage, and mild licorice flavors. It's slightly bitter and refreshing, just the thing to sip while eating a few light bites at the end of the day. The spritz is garnished with a dehydrated lemon slice — brushing it with simple syrup helps it keep its crispy, sweet texture.

By Ben Hatch

Updated on July 20, 2023

Tested by

Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Contratto spritz — Photo: Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

Active Time:

5 mins

Total Time:

5 mins

Servings:

1

Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

¼ cup (2 oz.) Contratto Aperitif
¼ cup (2 oz.) dry sparkling wine such as Prosecco
¼ cup (2 oz.) club soda
1 Dehydrated Lemon Slice (recipe follows)

Directions

Fill a large chilled wine glass with ice. Add Contratto, sparkling wine, and club soda; stir once. Garnish glass with dehydrated lemon slice and serve.

Dehydrated Lemon Slices

Makes about 16 slices; Active 10 min. Total 1 hour, 40 min.

2 (4-oz.) lemons, ends trimmed, sliced on a mandoline into 1/8-in.-thick rounds (about 16 slices total)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup water

1. Preheat oven to 200°F. Set an oven-safe wire rack inside a large rimmed baking sheet. Arrange lemon slices on prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Set aside.

2. Bring sugar and water to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium, stirring occasionally. Simmer, stirring often, until sugar dissolves, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat.3. Brush both sides of each lemon slice with simple syrup. Bake in preheated oven until lemon flesh is slightly tacky and peel is crisp, 1 hour, 45 minutes to 2 hours, flipping lemon slices halfway through bake time. Let cool completely on wire rack, about 15 minutes. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

Contratto Spritz

Ingredients

Directions

Dehydrated Lemon Slices

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