The Lush Chef

These hot summer nights make me crave Negronis and Aperol Spritzs.  For some reason, when it's too hot to move, I want Campari or Aperol, those bitter and refreshing Italian liqueurs in the amaro family.  I was making this Chicken, Black Olives & Lemon Spaghetti earlier this week, and I had about a whole bottle of Chardonnay left over. The Bicicletta Cocktail is like a twist on an Aperol Spritz and is a very popular Italian cocktail served as an aperitivo.  Hat tip to Bon Appetit for the recipe.  I'd recommend making this with a Pinot Grigio instead to stick with the Italian theme — I may be a lush, but I'm only going to open so many bottles of wine, kids.

This drink is so easy to stir up and is sure to cool you down.  So sit back, relax with a giant plate of pasta, Netflix Vittorio De Sica's neo-realistic classic Ladri di Biciclette (The Bicycle Thief) and pretend you're in Italy...

Bicicletta Cocktail
Ingredients:

• Ice Cubes
• 2 oz Campari
• 1 1/2 oz dry white wine (I recommend a Pinot Grigio)
• 1/2 oz club soda
• Lemon slice, for garnish

- Fill a wine glass with ice.
- Add the Campari, white wine and soda and stir, stir, stir.
- Garnish with a lemon slice.