I came across this understated aperitif at the Red Cat in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. So named because the drink’s hue matches the color of a traditional cricket ball, the drink also matches the red décor of Jimmy Bradley’s popular restaurant. What first attracted me to this drink were the bitters, of course, but also the use of Lillet Rouge, the too-often-overlooked sister spirit of the more popular Lillet Blanc. The version at the Red Cat calls for Angostura, but I’ve swapped in candy-colored Peychaud’s Bitters to continue the red theme and Fee Brothers Rhubarb Bitters for an unexpected sour note that cuts through the prosecco bubbles.”
Reprinted with permission from Bitters by Brad Thomas Parsons, copyright © 2011. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc.