Food & Spirits

Christmas Spirits – Jardesca California Aperitiva

Cash for your car

The Holiday Season is here and it is time to prep for the weeks of parties and indulgence ahead that can cause palate fatigue. Prime yourself with California’s first handcrafted aperitif – made in Sonoma with California wines and eau de vie brightened with botanicals designed to pep up those tastebuds.

Jardesca

Jardesca California Aperitiva is a new Sonoma-crafted wine and eau de vie-based aperitif created by longtime wine and spirits industry pros (blended by nationally-acclaimed SF mixologist/bartender, Duggan McDonnell). Inspired by the relaxed sophistication of the California alfresco lifestyle, Jardesca is the ideal marriage of vineyards and gardens: a balanced blend of sweet and dry white wines, and an eau de vie, double distilled and brightened with 10 different botanicals.

Aperitifs are making a strong comeback on the bar – offering easy sipping as a welcome or opening drink (or for the host while cooking!) and an utterly mixable base for increasingly popular wine-based cocktails. How to drink? Over ice with splash of sparkling water or Champagne, topped with a garden fresh herb or citrus garnish.

An entertaining way to serve Jardesca Caifornia Apertif’s are too lay out a chilled bottle on a tray or side board with a bright array of sliced citrus; festive, seasonal fruit; a bouquet of fresh garden herbs; a bottle of bubbles, sparkling water, fresh juices, ice – and let your guests make their own concoction! A beverage that works well as a palate primer any time of year to kick off a meal or occasion. As a very versatile product and flavor profile, it can fit well to the season – add in a squeeze of seasonal fruit (or dash of fresh fruit syrup, like pomegranate, persimmon, quince, pear) a splash of bubbles and you’ve got a festive holiday season cocktail. As a fortified wine, Jardesca can last in the fridge for weeks – in the off chance you have any left over.

Jardesca California AperitivaHere are a couple of ideas ~

The basic:
Jardesca Spritz
Pour three fingers of Jardesca (3 oz) over ice in a stemless wine glass or rocks glass
Add 2 oz Prosecco or sparking wine
Add your favorite citrus or herb garnish (an easy way to present garnishes so that you don’t get stuck bartending your own party: lay out a tray of sparkling water and wine, even a bottle of gin or pisco (which works beautifully as a complementing grape spirit), an array of fresh herbs – mint, basil, thyme, lemon verbena; fresh citrus (meyer lemon, tangerine, grapefruit, orange) and a fresh juice or two and let people play! It’s a great conversation-starter!

A festive cocktail from acclaimed bartender Duggan McDonnell, also master blender of Jardesca
Jardesca Ruby Sparkler
3 oz Jardesca
1 oz Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
2 Sparkling Moscato
Stir, fill glass with ice, garnish with floating pomegranate seeds and a sprig of mint

More complex: From A16 bartender Alex Wetersten (San Francisco and Oakland)
Solstizio
1/2 oz. House made persimmon/ginger syrup (can provide restaurant’s recipe
1/4 oz. lemon juice
2 oz. Jardesca
Top with Prosecco/sparkling wine
Garnish with a thin slice of candied persimmon.

Jardesca is currently featured solo and in cocktails at reputable restaurants, bars and retailers across California, including your LA and SoCal area, and is soon rolling out in OR, CO, FL, NY, TX and additional states. It can also be purchased directly online through the brand website For more info on Jardesca, CLICK HERE

About the author

David Atmajoana