September Sippers
Six drinks to celebrate the end of summer.
Written by Jen Laskey
Summer’s end is often bittersweet, but the arrival of September (always quicker than we expect) is like a tonic for the spirit. As the beaches empty, the superyachts leave the harbor and the crowds thin downtown, islanders can reclaim their favorite spots—and even enjoy dinner and drinks without a waitlist. Whether your ideal September sipper is an autumn-inspired riff on a classic gin cocktail, a bottle of Burgundy’s other crisp and delicious white wine or a glass of something layered with flavor but without alcohol, Nantucket bartenders and sommeliers are ready with the perfect pour to help you settle into the slower rhythms of the shoulder season. Happy hour is calling.
DARVIOT-PERRIN BOURGOGNE ALIGOTÉ, 2020
($108/bottle at Ethos)
Recommended by Emily Dusseau, co-owner, Ethos
It may be considered the underdog to Burgundy’s Chardonnay, but the high-acid, terroir-driven Aligoté from France’s Bourgogne appellation can be a very alluring alternative to the region’s most prized white wine. “We love this wine from the lesser-known Aligoté grape,” said Emily Dusseau, who co-owns Ethos with Gracie Schadt and Zachary Hotter. “Chardonnay usually gets all the attention in Burgundy, but we find that the zesty mineral backbone of this wine is irresistible.” Like Chardonnay, Aligoté is food-friendly, so consider enjoying it with a late-summer meal.“ You could drink this wine on its own with friends,” said Dusseau, adding that it’s also “the perfect accompaniment to oysters and fresh seafood.”
MURI, PASSING CLOUDS, FADE TO BLACK,YAMILÉ AND KOJI RICE SERIES 1, Non-Alcoholic, NV
($30-45/bottle)
If you’re looking for a nonalcoholic tipple that offers some of the most compelling characteristics of wine—depth of flavor, complexity, lively acidity and structure—try a bottle of Muri. This Copenhagen, Denmark-based producer crafts adult beverages with an intriguing array of natural ingredients, such as fermented fruits, herbs, kefir, tea and Japanese koji—the fermented culture used to make miso and soy sauce. Produced through a series of carbonic maceration, lacto-fermentation, toasting and woodsmoking, these drinks boast a deliciously satisfying sipping experience.
Passing Clouds is a citrusy, floral, bright and spritzy white wine alternative made with fermented gooseberries and white currants, quince kefir, jasmine tea, geranium and woodruff kvass (a cloudy cereal-based fermented liquid). Fade to Black, meanwhile, is a sparkling cuvée of fermented red and black currants, chamomile kefir, and caramel malt kvass infused with fig leaves and pine needles. Yamilé is a sparkling chillable red produced with carbonic raspberry and gooseberry mead, smoked lacto-fermented rhubarb, goldenrod and pink peppercorn kefir. It’s like the fruity lovechild of sparkling dry Lambrusco and smoky black tea—but better. The Koji Rice Series 1 is a still, nonalcoholic koji rice wine infused with mahleb (a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern baking spice) and blended with lavender kefir smoked over beechwood. It’s unfiltered with a silky texture and umami-rich salty, savory and earthy flavors.
KõYõ FIZZ
($22 AT O BAR)
Recommended by Brian Patrick Cleary, bar manager, O Bar and Bar Yoshi
In Japanese, the word kōyō refers to the phenomenon of autumn leaves changing color. “It also refers to the act of enjoying this seasonal change,” said Brian Patrick Cleary, bar manager at O Bar and Bar Yoshi. As bright red as an autumn maple leaf, O Bar’s Kōyō Fizz cocktail is a tangy twist on the classic gin fizz, and it has a little kick. Hibiscus brings floral notes and tart brightness, while ginger adds zing. “It’s refreshing, yet grounding, floral and spicy, bright and soulful—the kind of drink you’d enjoy on a breezy late-afternoon patio or the first night you bring a sweater out,” Cleary said.
Cleary suggested sipping the Kōyō Fizz with yellowtail sashimi or tuna tataki. “The clean and delicate flavor of the yellowtail blends great with the botanical notes in the drink,” he said. “The smoky edge of the tuna goes great with the ginger and complexity of the Japanese gin.” Both are perfect pairings for September on Nantucket “when the weather is fresh and cool, there are fewer crowds, and the island feels more peaceful and quaint."
INGREDIENTS
• 2 ounces Roku gin
• ½ ounce hibiscus and ginger syrup*
• ½ ounce fresh lemon juice
• Club soda
• Candied hibiscus flower (for garnish)
INSTRUCTIONS
• Combine gin, hibiscus syrup and lemon juice in a shaker with ice.
• Shake hard and double-strain into a coupe.
• Top with club soda.
• Garnish with a candied hibiscus flower. Enjoy!
FOR HIBISCUS AND GINGER SYRUP
Combine 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar with ¼ cup sliced fresh ginger and ¼ cup dried hibiscus flowers. Simmer, cool and strain out the solids.
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