Tempus Fugit Spirits – Kina L’Aéro D’or Aperitif 70 cl. 18%

The French aperitif style called kina or quinqina was originally created to make quinine more palatable for the deployed soldiers who were prescribed it for malaria. At one point, the recipe became so sophisticated that even the French bourgeoisie adopted the drink. Tempus Fugit China L’Aero D’or is based on a recipe from the area around Provence and the Alps, where the base is white wine from the Cortese grape infused with Chinese bark, orange peel, wormwood and a number of exotic spices.

Colour: Light golden.
Scent: Quince and orange marmalade.
Tasting notes: Balanced sweetness and slight bitterness.

Serving suggestions: Enjoy chilled or in cocktails, such as a Vesper.

Tempus Fugit Spirits is the nostalgic cocktail geek’s wet dream. The name comes from Latin and means “time flies”, and as you might have guessed, they make liqueurs and cocktail ingredients from a bygone era. The ingredients that were regular components of the bar before the prohibition era in the United States. Classics such as Crème de Cacao, Crème de Menthe and Liqueur de Violettes are pulled out of the 80s’ horrible neon shade and given a serious makeover, where artificial flavourings, industrial methods and color are banned. After all, a cocktail is only as good as the ingredients you put in it. Tempus Fugit Spirits is a catalyst in the revolution that has given the cocktail another “Golden Age”. Thanks to quality and tradition-conscious companies like them (and skilled bartenders), Aviations and Grasshoppers are back on the menu – no longer soapy, nauseating and inferior, but shaken back to their former glory.