Giuseppe Garibaldi

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Once again, I was in Chambéry, France, for work. One of the small pleasures there is the gastronomy. On Saturday evening, I was alone and came across an apéritif and cocktail bar. I ordered a Garibaldo spritz for €10. At the time, I had no idea what I’d ordered. I tasted the drink without knowing its ingredients. Do not confuse this drink with the 1960s cocktail Garibaldi, which consists of Campari and fresh orange juice.

The Garibaldo turned out to be a beer-based apéritif spritz — a French regional reinterpretation. The listed ingredients are:

Bitter Dolin (a French gentian-based bitter liqueur)
Vermouth rouge Dolin (sweet red vermouth from Chambéry)
Bière blonde Caquot (a local blonde beer)

Ingredients

30 ml (1 oz) Bitter Dolin
30 ml (1 oz) Vermouth rouge Dolin
100–120 ml (3½–4 oz) Bière blonde Caquot – or another crisp, dry blonde ale (5 % ABV range)
Ice cubes
Optional: orange slice or peel garnish

Instructions

Fill a large wine glass or tumbler with ice.
Add the Bitter Dolin and Vermouth rouge Dolin.
Gently pour in the blonde beer, letting the foam settle.
Stir once, very gently — you want to mix but keep some fizz.
Garnish with an orange peel or slice.