Caffe Dante in New York’s Greenwich Village began as a local hangout for Italian immigrants in 1915 and evolved into a downtown landmark where celebrity sightings were de rigueur. In 2015, after a flutter of rumors and a brief closure, the business changed hands and reemerged as Dante, an homage to the original space with an extensive Negroni menu.
Naren Young, head bartender and co-owner of the modern Dante, shared a light, on-trend aperitif perfect for one last sip of summer before fall cocktail season truly gets underway. “The White Port and Tonic—currently the darling of Portugal’s own aperitif culture—is coming to the U.S and you can’t fight it,” he says. “It’s about as perfect as summer drinking gets: it’s low in alcohol, utterly refreshing, appealing to everybody and damn delicious. I like to use the Fever Tree elderflower tonic with Siroco White Port and garnish with a long sliver of fresh cucumber.”
Get the recipe below.
SIROCO AND TONIC
1 part Fonseca Siroco White Port
1 part Tonic water
Fill glass with ice. Add Fonseca Siroco White Port and tonic water. Stir well and garnish with lemon wheel, mint leaf or basil leaf.
