Rosé Rye Whiskey Aperitif

Rosé Rye Whiskey Aperitif from Stork Club in Brandenburg

Rosé Rye Whiskey Aperitif from Stork Club combines Spreewald rye whiskey with Pinot Noir rosé from Baden. Berry-forward, spicy, and pleasantly light with 18 percent alcohol. Not a sweet pre-mixed cocktail, but an aperitif with a whiskey backbone.

Rosé Rye Whiskey Aperitif is an 18 percent alcohol whiskey aperitif from Stork Club in the Spreewald, made from two ingredients: rye whiskey from their own distillery and rosé from the Baden winery Markgraf von Baden. Something like this has never existed before.

It sits in the glass a light pink-red and looks more innocent than it is, because beneath the berry fruit lies the dry spice of the rye.

Berry fruit over sherry and dried fruit

The aroma is led by fresh raspberries and currants, with citrus notes and a hint of nut from the whiskey appearing behind them.

On the palate, the Rosé Rye first reveals the fruit of the Pinot Noir, then sherry notes and dried fruit take over, before a spicy finish lingers. Quaffable, light, and easy-drinking – an aperitif that opens the evening instead of ending it.

With 18 percent alcohol, it sits between wine and spirit, similar to a vermouth, except that the cask note of the whiskey carries the flavor instead of herbal bitterness. Even die-hard whiskey drinkers who initially turn up their noses usually change their minds by the second glass.

With soda, with tonic, on plenty of ice

Topped with soda, it makes a light long drink; with tonic, it becomes more tart and gains structure.

The aperitif loves summer evenings on the balcony, cold glasses, and a slice of orange. Those who want to take it more seriously can mix it into a sour or add a splash of Straight Rye to let the spice lead. It tastes best served at six to eight degrees.

In a Manhattan, it replaces the sweet vermouth, making the drink brighter and fruitier. For a larger group, a carafe with ice, orange slices, and soda is worthwhile, from which everyone can pour for themselves.

A trial became a bestseller

In 2020, the Rosé Rye was planned as a small-batch Experimental Series, a trial and nothing more.

But the combination of Baden fruit and Brandenburg grain struck a chord, and the experiment became a permanent fixture in the range. Bastian Heuser, one of the three founders, comes from the Berlin bar scene and helped build the Bar Convent Berlin, so he knows exactly what is needed behind the bar.

The rosé comes from the VDP winery Markgraf von Baden, the whiskey from the company's own distillery in Schlepzig, 60 kilometers south of Berlin. Two landscapes in one bottle, and you can taste both. That a winery from Baden and a distillery from Brandenburg come together is rare enough on German shelves to be worth mentioning.

Serving tip

Once opened, the bottle belongs in the refrigerator, where it will stay fresh for several weeks. 6 cl over plenty of ice, 12 cl cold soda, an orange slice on top, and the aperitif is ready. It pairs well with olives, salted almonds, and air-dried ham, as well as for a round of drinks before a meal. Further bottles for the "blue hour" can be found under Aperitif, and the entire Stork Club range is on the manufacturer's page.