Thursday, March 14, 2024

From the Magazine: Rose Colored Glasses

A “Big Time” sommelier creates a holiday drink exclusively for Boca readers

We asked Ervin Machado to make our readers a uniquely Boca drink as our gift to you. Machado is a certified sommelier and beverage director for Big Time Restaurant Group, which owns Louie Bossi’s, Elisabetta’s, City Oyster, City Cellar and more.

He developed this recipe for Prosecco Zero Spritz with rose prosecco, a prosecco just approved by Italy for the market, and it results in a beautiful cocktail. It’s very Boca—stylish and delicious!

PROSECCO ZERO SPRITZ

FROM ERVIN: “This is by far one of my favorite drinks; it mixes everything I love: bubbles, vodka, holidays and sorbet! I can’t think of a better mix of words to describe our Boca Raton clientele.

“This drink is usually enjoyed for the holidays in Italy. It’s enjoyed mainly among locals, and one that unfortunately hasn’t been noticed by more Italian restaurants in the U.S. In a way, it’s so us, which is part of the reason I love this drink so much—it’s authentic, rustic and crafty, just like our restaurant.

“Pear is my favorite fruit, so I wanted to make sure our sgroppino—although very Italian—was representative of us. When building the recipe, I wanted it to be impossible to mimic. It had to be unique, [and] the only way to achieve that was to make most of the ingredients myself. But you can make it at home, too.”

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 pears
  • 2 rosemary bunches
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 lime
  • 2 scoops lemon sorbet
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 ounces pear vodka
  • 1 bottle Prosecco Zero Rose
  • 16 ounces water

RECIPE FOR ROSEMARY PEAR SYRUP:

  • Heat 16 ounces of water and 2 cups sugar in pot.
  • Cut the three pears in quarters and mix inside water and sugar mix; let them boil together for 15 minutes.
  • Once pears have been poached and caramelized, take them out and put them in blender.
  • Blend three pears and 10 ounces of water/pear/sugar mix they were in—do this while water is still warm.
  • Once blended, add rosemary sprigs and leave them sitting in hot water for 10 minutes.
  • Cool down the mix.

RECIPE:

  • 2 ounces vodka (pear flavored, Grey
  • Goose if possible)
  • 1 ounce rosemary pear syrup
  • 2 scoops lemon sorbet
  • 3 ounces rose prosecco
  • 1 ounce lemon and lime juice

INSTRUCTIONS:

  • Using shaker, add 2 ounces vodka, 1 ounce lemon and lime juice (0.5 ounce each), 1 scoop lemon sorbet and 1 ounce rosemary pear syrup.
  • Shake all ingredients without ice, until sorbet mixes with all liquids.
  • Introduce ice to shaker, and shake again, until drink is very cold.
  • Pour and strain all ingredients into coupe glass.
  • Top with Prosecco Zero Rose.
  • Garnish with orchid or rosemary sprig.

This story is from the November/December 2020 issue of Boca magazine. For more content like this, subscribe to the magazine.

Lynn Kalber
Lynn Kalber
Lynn Kalber was raised in Boca Raton and has always worked in Palm Beach and Broward counties. She is a career journalist, with 26 years at The Palm Beach Post alone, where she wrote feature and food articles, edited the food section and wrote about wine as part of the Swirl Girls.

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