Drink of the Week: Bruto Americano

Today’s Drink of the Week is a sublime new aperitivo that amplifies the berry flavors in vermouth and pairs perfectly with the floral botanicals of gin. Named as a tongue-in-cheek reference to the fact that St. George Spirits—an American distillery—is riffing on a classic Italian style (bruto means crass, or rude), the Bruto Americano uses a recipe inspired by distiller Lance Winters’ memories of  growing up in California in the 1970s. Gentian root, balsam fir and Cascara sagrada (the bark from the coffee cherry bush) offer a complex woody bitterness, with California-grown Seville orange adding sunny top notes to the mix, and the bright red hue comes from the addition of cochineal extract. Try it in your next Negroni, Americano, as a spritz or with soda. $28, klwines.com