Top sommeliers: these drinks are worth trying at least once
If there are people who know which drinks you should try at least once, it’s top sommeliers. And that applies not only to wine, but certainly to other drinks as well. Here, they share their favorites.
Erica Verweijen, sommelier at Aan de Poel
“Hellyers Road (Tasmanian whiskey), paired with a slice of apple pie.”
Nabil Touires, sommelier at Graham’s Kitchen
“Demi-sec Champagne with Cointreau and dried orange.”
Imil Ayoub, sommelier at The Harbour Club
“Kir Royale; Champagne with a splash of crème de cassis.”
Laurence Reintjens, freelance sommelier
“A Negroni. Sometimes there are simply days when nothing else is good enough. I don’t drink it often, but I still get restless if there’s no gin, Campari or vermouth in the house.”
Wouter van Essen, sommelier at Wijn- en Eetbar Most
“People will always ask for gin and tonic, but at the wine bar we serve Ratafia du Champagne instead; a softly sweet fortified wine without bubbles, topped with tonic. Very surprising, and you can pair it with all kinds of food.”
Ivar Roerink, sommelier at Wijnbar Nic & ik
“Black Tears Cuban Rum with tonic, also known as ‘Tears Tonic’. The only genuine Cuban brown rum that pairs with tonic. Finish with an orange wedge and enjoy!”
Ruth Engels, sommelier at INK Hotel Amsterdam
“Portotonic, a combination of white port, tonic and mint. A truly refreshing thirst quencher.”
Sabas Joosten, sommelier at De Librije
“Tess Posthumus’s White Mezcal Negroni. Not for the faint-hearted but incredibly delicious!”
Dennis Blaaser, sommelier at Le Hollandais
“At the moment, I’m loving artisanal Vermut (or Vermouth), such as Yzaguirre. Delicious as an aperitif. The Catalans make some beautiful, pleasant Vermuts.”
Maaike Kauffman, sommelier at Héroine
“At Héroine, we have a cocktail called Higher, a combination of mezcal, passion fruit and ginger beer. It’s truly my favorite cocktail!”
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