The Bellini Tour

 Many of us have signature drinks, whether alcoholic or non-alcoholic. When I was in college, my go-to drink was a 7 & 7, though I frequently drank the free beer at fraternity parties. My dad likes his Captain & Coke and my mom's drink was an Amaretto on the rocks. I adopted that one for a time as well, and still order one from time to time. After we went to Ireland, my drink became an upgraded version of my college favorite as I substituted Jameson for the Seagrams. When I go out with long-friends, I can predict most of their drink orders with a high degree of accuracy.

Earlier this month, my family and I spent a few days in Manhattan. On one rainy night, we ended up at Friedman's, known for its gluten-free menu, a necessity for my daughter. The drink special that night was an apple cider Bellini, its rim dipped in honey and coated with sugar.

Yes, please. And then, yes, please again.

Thus began what I'm affectionately dubbing "The Bellini Tour," in which my drink of choice any time I go to a new restaurant is a Bellini.

At Friedman's, the Bellini was made with Prosecco (in keeping with the gluten-free theme, I suppose). It was delicious.

Since we've been back, I've ordered Bellinis at three different restaurants, each ironically a little worse than the one before. I didn't expect anything to be on par with those apple cider Bellinis I had in New York, but I also didn't realize how sub-par they might be elsewhere. 

At the first local restaurant, the drink was a reasonable facsimile of the one I had in New York, albeit not with apple cider, which was not a surprise since that was a particular twist in a particular restaurant. Last weekend, I tried a cranberry Bellini, which was good, although not quite as good as either of the two local drinks that preceded it.

Last night, I had a terrible peach Bellini and it was only after I got home and refreshed my memory on the ingredients that I realized the Prosecco had likely been replaced with champagne, leaving my drink tasting more like a mimosa than a Bellini. I only drank about half of it and enjoyed less of it than that.

So, what's the point here? Am I planning on starting a new career as a Bellini critic? I am not, but I am having fun with my taste tests. Although nothing I've had since I got home compares to those apple cider Bellinis in New York, hope springs eternal. Still, I was surprised that, fruit of choice notwithstanding, one drink could be so different from one place to another.

To be honest, I'm not sure how much of the enjoyment of that drink in New York was connected to location, company, and circumstances. None of these things influence taste, per se, but they do play a role in the overall enjoyment of the experience, something I've been unable to replicate so far.

As long as I'm having fun with my sampling, I see no reason to give it up (except at that last restaurant - yuck). Each sip, no matter the quality, is a small reminder of a chilly, rainy night that culminated in a fun dinner with my family and a delicious drink I look forward to having again.

Even if I have to go back to New York to make that happen.

(Photo courtesy of Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke via Pixabay)