Roses, Orange, and Spice

Fog Eater Cafe Toasts the Season

by Haley Samas-Berry

Autumn illustrates the beauty of change. At the Fog Eater Cafe, our restaurant is expanding to include a wine shop at 45104 Main Street in Mendocino. We will offer bottles of natural and organic wines made locally and elsewhere, with a focus on coastal wines with little intervention. Also available will be a variety of local sundries—some from our cafe (pickle plate and pimento cheese, anyone?) and some other exciting treats which, when paired with natural wine, make for a most delightful picnic basket. Wine, of course, brings us to a wonderful seasonal treat: making your own homemade garden vermouth. This fortified wine is a common cocktail ingredient that is deliciously enjoyed on its own (we like ours over ice with a citrus peel) or employed in classic cocktails like the Manhattan, the Negroni, or the Martinez.

Autumnal Vermouth

Courtesy of Fog Eater Cafe

Ingredients

• 750ml light body red wine

• ½ c brandy or Cognac (this fortifies the wine for preservation)

• 10g mugwort

• 25g rose petals

• 10g bitter orange peels

• 5g wormwood

• 5g green cardamom pods

• 10g rosehips

• 5g allspice

And add a handful of green herbs from your garden that excite you!

Instructions

Mix all ingredients in a large glass container. Let sit for 3 weeks in a dark place, shaking occasionally. Strain herbs using tea strainer. Sweeten to taste with simple syrup or honey (approx. ½ cup).

Serve and enjoy!

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Fog Eater Cafe
45104 Main Street, Mendocino
(707) 397-1806 | FogEaterCafe.com

Happy Hour Wed - Sat, 4 - 5pm
Dinner Wed - Sat, 5 - 8:30pm
Brunch Sun, 10 - 2pm

Photo by Annie Spratt courtesy of Unsplash