Cocktails with Bagna Cauda?
So I'm throwing a very Italian dinner party for my very Italian boyfriend's birthday, and I want to serve Bagna Cauda with cocktails before dinner. While I can find many, many, many websites recommending you serve Bagna Cauda with cocktails, I haven't found any recommendations for which ones. A friend suggested martinis, but that's kind of boring and normal, and we're going to be drinking a lot of wine with dinner and probably don't want to make the meal too top-heavy booze-wise, as it were. Any ideas?
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7 Comments:
Campari, Cynar or Fernet Branca on the rocks. Can't beat it.
HunterAnglerGardenerCook at 4:25PM on 01/08/08
This might be more of a dessert recommendation, but here's a great recipe for Italian Coffee (with Galliano liqueur).
Hillary
Chew on That
Chew on That at 1:48PM on 01/09/08
Prosecco, or a Bellini.
PerkyMac at 1:56PM on 01/09/08
Definitely, Campari, Cynar, Fernet on the rocks, Kir Royale or even Lillet, if you wanted to "Franco" things up a bit. Generally you want some kind of bitters, Gin works well. Due to the intense flavour of the Bagna Cauda, you need to offset it. I'm from Milano and adore the stuff. Good luck!
Papa Lucio at 2:36PM on 01/09/08
Why not pair the dish from Piemonte with wine from the same region, especially since its celebrated reds would stand up to the intense flavor noted above? Bagna cauda is easiest to feast on when your guests are seated around a warm bowl or a couple of pots set on the table; it's a great way to bring everyone together and indeed, terrific party food.
Here's a few suggestions for complementary wines from one Italian site devoted to regional traditions: http://www.italianmade.com/recipes/recipe75.cfm
Mario Batali's own web site provides more information on Piemonte in general as well as a link to a more detailed survey of its wines:
http://www.mariobatali.com/exploreItalyDtl.cfm?rid=13
Eliz. at 3:08PM on 01/09/08
Prosecco with blood orange juice. Yum.
mohliger at 6:17PM on 01/10/08
So I ended up serving it with Negronis Sbagliatos, which are Negronis with Spumante instead of gin (and actually Prosecco instead of Spumante). I wasn't feeding a terribly adventurous crowd; my roommate's nose crinkled at the very thought of Campari (*eye-roll*), but I did my best. Thanks for all your suggestions!
Gastronobooks
aluapaluap at 10:11AM on 01/23/08