Drink of the Week: Martini & Rossi Fiero

The new Martini & Rossi Fiero landed on my desk at an opportune time. Here in the Pacific Northwest, the winters are dark, cold, and very wet. But in February, we frequently get a week or so stretch of sunshine and warmer temperatures that has been dubbed the “February fakeout,” because in reality we have about four more months of rain ahead of us. This year, the fakeout threw a different kind of curveball in the form of snow. So it was serendipitous that the Fiero rolled out nationwide this February, and I was able to fake myself out in the form of a spritz.

With a vibrant red-orange color, a citrus-forward flavor, and the suggestion that it be used almost exclusively for spritzes, Fiero is a vermouth made from a blend of white wines amped up with sweet orange peels and botanicals like wormwood. The ABV sits at 15 percent, but the recommended application (equal parts Fiero and tonic water) brings it to an easy-to-drink 7 percent. Bright, juicy and bittersweet, the drink may not make summer come any faster, but at least it’ll help you pretend. $22.99, totalwine.com