Review: Doladira Aperitivo

Summertime is spritz time, and there’s a new, lower sugar aperitivo on the market looking to bring some Alpine influence to that most refreshing of warm weather cocktails. Doladira’s creator, Meredith Erickson, first teased an early version of the product as a Rhubarb Elixir in her 2019 cookbook, Alpine Cooking, but its popularity with readers inspired her to refine it and bring it to the masses.

The name is a mashup of Dolomites, the famous Alpine mountain range, and enrosadira, the ancient Dolomite word for the pink glow that bathes the mountain’s peaks. True to the name, Doladira is made with several alpine botanicals including gentian, elderflower, pine, and rosemary, along with rhubarb, plum, and black carrot. There are no artificial additives or added sweeteners. In fact, Doladira reportedly has a whopping 60% less sugar content than the leading aperitifs. Will it change the spritz world forever? Let’s find out.

Straight away, the reduced sugar content is noticeable with a crisp, resinous nose of pine bark, dried rosemary, and cooked root vegetables. It doesn’t quite scream summer sipping, but there’s still a freshness to the aroma that’s alluring. The sweetness finally arrives on the palate, but things are still significantly restrained, especially compared to Aperol or Campari. There’s a bracing bitterness at the top of the sip that quickly mellows into gently sweet notes of plum juice, rosewater, and runny rhubarb pie filling. The finish is a bit heavy with cooked dark fruits, but a bit of lemon peel and licorice add a welcome brightness. The reduced sweetness is to be applauded, but some aperitivo purists may want for a bit more bitterness. In a classic spritz, the dark fruits are still somewhat brooding but come across more candied with raspberry and black cherry. In the right cocktail it can add an interesting layer of flavor, but it’s no substitute for the ruby red classics.

44 proof.

B+ / $40 [BUY IT NOW FROM RESERVEBAR]

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