Tuscany is a region famed for its bounty of produce, from fruits and cheeses to olive oil and truffles, as well as some of the most famous varieties of wine in the world. To celebrate the plethora of homegrown Tuscan goods on offer, the bar team at Toscana Resort Castelfalfi has created the Castelfalfi Sour cocktail, complete with a good measure of local Chianti wine.
Found in the medieval village of Castelfalfi, Toscana Resort Castelfalfi is a sprawling Italian estate comprising luxury accommodations for rent and hire, a spa, a championship golf course and multiple restaurants and bars, as well as an exclusive five-star hotel – Il Castelfalfi – Tui Blue Selection.
The entire resort is surrounded by 2,700 acres of Tuscan landscape, including protected vineyards, olive groves and nature reserves. The Toscana Resort Castelfalfi ethos is centered on showcasing this diverse natural environment and operating in a completely sustainable manner.
This includes using locally sourced produce in its organic culinary offerings, which include wine, olive oil and organic fruits and vegetables, most of which are grown in the estate’s own vegetable gardens. In other words, to stay at the resort is to experience Tuscany at its best.
Although the estate favors Peter in Florence gin for the Castelfalfi Sour, which is produced in a micro-distillery in the heart of the Tuscan hills, you can use your own favorite (and ideally locally produced) gin to complete the recipe.
“This is a unique cocktail born and raised on the Toscana Resort Castelfalfi in Tuscany, thanks to the unusual but delicious blend of local ingredients, including gin and red wine, combined in a new, uncommon creation,” explains Lars-Frederick Isken, the head mixologist at Toscana Resort Castelfalfi, a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts.
Ingredients:
- 40 ml of gin (the estate uses Peter in Florence gin)
- 25 ml of fresh lemon juice
- 40 ml of sugar
- A splash of soda water
- 40 ml of red wine (the estate uses its own Chianti DOCG Cerchiaia Riserva Tenuta di Castelfalfi)
- Lemon zest to garnish
Method:
Put the gin, sugar and lemon into a shaker and shake for around 10 to 15 seconds before double-straining into a highball glass. Top with a splash of soda water and mix with a spoon. Pour the red Chianti wine into the glass, keeping the two colors of the liquids separated. Garnish with lemon zest.
See more Cocktail of the Week recipes here.