Spumoni

The Spumoni looks, tastes, and drinks like a classic Italian aperitivo cocktail – but it’s actually Japanese! We heard about it through the charming Bartender anime, where it was briefly mentioned as a drink popular with women. In fact, it began life as a canned drink from the Suntory company. Though it was quickly discontinued, it lived on as a menu staple at Japanese bars and izakayas.
We’re big fans of this version from PUNCH magazine, who adapted it from a more complex version with peppercorn syrup served at Bar Pisellino in New York. To get your grapefruit juice as fluffy as Bar Pisellino’s, you could toss it in a kitchen blender and blend on high speed to introduce some airy volume.
Campari is the standard bitter citrus apéritif for a Spumoni, but any other red bitter would do – including Aperol, if you don’t mind the additional sweetness.

Ingredients
- 1½ parts Bitter orange apéritif or Sweet orange apéritif
- ½ part Gin
- 1 tsp Simple syrup
- 1½ parts Tonic water
- 1½ parts Grapefruit juice
Instructions
Shake the bitter citrus apéritif, gin, and syrup with ice. Strain into an ice-filled tall glass, and top with the tonic water and grapefruit juice. Garnish with a few cracked pink peppercorns.


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Read more
- Spumoni recipe at PUNCH
