This Midsummer Cup was constructed specifically bearing in mind the extreme heat of the Florida summer, when refreshing yet slightly savory is the order of the day. The idea was to emulate the feeling of eating overripe, musky pineapple by the sea; the fino sherry (originally the Inocente from Bodegas Valdespino), with its dryness and delicately salty and nutty almond bouquet, works as the great unifier here, pulling together the more disparate elements into one crisp, complex, self-contained aperitif.
Assemble the ingredients in a shaker, shake firmly and briskly, and strain into a rocks glass or oversized Nick and Nora. Serve on ice, and garnished with a spiral of celery stalk.
** Pineapple-Cumin Shrub
Roughly chop one ripe pineapple into small chunks, skins and all. Put into a pot with 3 cups of water, 5 cups of white sugar, 3 teaspoons of cumin, and 3 teaspoons of pineapple juice. Bring the mixture to an even, rolling boil, then remove from heat and allow to sit steeping for approximately 3 hours. Strain and add 5 oz of champagne vinegar per quart of resulting liquid. Will keep if refrigerated for up to 3 months.
It is an ideal aperitif wine and goes well with all types of tapa, especially olives, nuts and Iberian cured ham.
Also providing the perfect companion for shellfish and fish, especially those with a marked salty taste (anchovies) or even raw (sashimi).
Its low acetic acid content combines exceptionally well with dishes of marked acidity (vinaigrette salads, marinades, etc.) as well as with cold soups (gazpacho, ajo blanco, etc.).
Use an ice bucket with both ice and water to serve chilled between 6º & 8º C.
It adapts perfectly to a diverse range of salty and intense flavours.
In traditional wide-rimmed catavinos, or in white wine glasses.
