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Our Favorite Rosés!

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Written by Willa Van Nostrand and Kat Cummings. Photographs by Angel Tucker.

If you’re anything like us, you’ve been sipping your way through a rainbow of rosés since early spring, imbibing pure joy with each taste. Lucky then, that the recent fervor for rosé has lead many winemakers to begin experimenting with new cuvées, and, in some cases, dedicating entire vineyards to rosé production. But if you’re tired of sipping the same old stuff, there’s good news: The bottles below are perfect for refreshing your palate in the dog days of summer. Priced between $12 and $35, they’re great for entertaining, pairing with a meal, or just guzzling at the beach. Now go get your paws on a bottle of pink, and continue to celebrate the season!

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1. Matthiasson Rosé, Northern California, 2016

Tasting Notes: Delicate white blossoms, Rainier cherries, night jasmine. Fresh herbs and blood orange zest.

Texture: Clean, white marble, a sunrise on a glassy lake.

Pairing: Late afternoon, frittata with summer squash and young pecorino garnished with chive blossoms because you just finished working in the garden and you’re sitting outside next to the raspberry patch, toasting that good work.

Matthiasson rosé is a certified organic blend of grenache, syrah, mourvèdre, sauvignon blanc, and counoise made by husband and wife team Steve and Jill Klein Matthiasson. These farmers turned winemakers make beautiful, precise wines with very little manipulation. Steve literally wrote the manual on California’s sustainable agriculture practices and Jill studied botany, ancient farming methods, and traditional techniques for soil health. The Matthiassons are farmers first and they firmly believe that healthy soil and vines make the best wines. We love the large format magnum for summertime entertaining, but a traditional 750 ml bottle gets the job done, too.

Buy it by the bottle: Campus Fine Wines, Newport Wine Cellar & Gourmet

Find it by the glass: Fortnight Cooperative & Wine Bar

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Little Bitte @ Ocean State BBQ Fest this weekend!

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Early Bird BBQ FEST tickets Here ($15) 

or $20 tix at the door

Ocean State Bbq Festival || June 9th + June 10th

This year we’ll continue to put Rhode Island on the “BBQ Map” with the Ocean State BBQ Fest on June 9th + 10th at the Steelyard! There will be craft cocktails + mocktails by Little Bitte, live music, family-friendly activities, tips on smoking/barbecuing, crafts by local artisans + tastings from the BBQ competition. The entire festival is environmentally friendly with an estimated 1+ ton of compostable materials collected. Join us for fabulous beverages featuring grilled + smoked garnish!

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Little Bitte at PVDFest!

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Little Bitte Bar Schedule

Were winding up for a big weekend here in lil’ Rhody and we’re hoping you’ll make it to one of our bars this weekend! Try a festival spritz or a mocktail & say hello! 

June 1st | 5-7PM  | THE COMMUNITY TABLE

Join us in Kennedy Plaza on Washington Street for a 300 seat dinner that’s free + open to the public. Well break bread and share stories.

June 3rd | 4-10PM | Little Bitte PVDFest VIP BAR @ Burnside Park 

Featuring our signature festival cocktail, the PVD Spritz, a fresh & fabulous Margarita +  smoky mezcal & bourbon cocktails that will certainly put a pep in your step!

(Complimentary Wine + Whalers Brewing Beer on tap!)

June 4th | 1-8PM |The PVDFest Finale

The PVDFest Finale at Armory Park between Cranston Street + Parade Street!!! Come find us in our neck of the woods  for a famous ‘Lime in the Coconut’ or a Signature Paloma with silver tequila + grapefruit!

What to know about #PVDFest

PVDFest showcases performers from around the country and all over the globe, including some of the biggest stars in world music. This year alone features musicians, dancers, and performance artists from Harlem, Miami, Detroit, Oakland, East LA, Montreal, Trinidad, and Honduras. Of course, there is no shortage of talent here in our own backyard, and many local performers will be sharing the stage with the national and international talent. Catch some of the highlights on the PVDFest Blog

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Join us for Spring Tonic + Bouquet Workshop!

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Join us on Thursday, May 18th for our first ever Spring Tonic + Bouquet Workshop at Weatherlow Farms! 

May 18th | Spring Tonic + Bouquet Workshop

Where: Weatherlow Farm, 845 Sodom Road, Westport, MA 02790

When: Thursday, May 18th | 6:00-8:00

Join Phoebe Poole of Weatherlow Florals & Willa Van Nostrand of Little Bitte Artisanal Cocktails in the barn at Weatherlow Farms for our first workshop of the season. We’ll tour the greenhouses and make bouquets with farm-grown materials including anemones, ranunculus, flowering branches, and foraged foliage. Then, learn how to make 2 new spring tonics including nettles, sorrel & early season edibles.
All materials, cocktails & bites included.

WORKSHOP REGISTRATION HERE

Tickets are $75
All materials, cocktails & bites included. 

THIS MINT JULEP IS READY FOR A CROWD

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Kentucky Derby Day Mint Julep easy recipe

Ladies and gentlemen, dust off your fascinators and review your bow-tying tactics because it’s the Kentucky Derby this weekend! Luckily for you, I’ve learned a thing or two watching bartenders batch mint juleps by the gallon at Churchill Downs.

The list of ingredients for making a julep is simple; all you need is bourbon, sugar, ice, and a handful of fresh mint sprigs. The subtly different ways to combine them, however, are endless. In fact, they say that no two hosts’ mint juleps taste alike, and that’s quite true in my experience.

Prep goes a long way on Kentucky Derby day, so while most folks muddle fresh mint in the bottom of a silver chalice, I prefer to make a strong minted simple syrup that I steep ahead of time and then garnish my juleps with heady sprigs of peppermint. If you expect to catch the race, do yourself a favor and make the syrup the evening before and crush your ice before guests arrive. To do so, grab a canvas Lewis ice bagand a mallet, or a clean dish towel and a rolling pin (like my Nanna does) to produce fine frozen particulates. Or, if you must, just whiz up some ice for a few seconds in the blender. (I won’t tell). Whichever way you choose, be forewarned that this cocktail simply can’t survive on normal cubes.

Woodford Reserve bourbon is the classic choice for a mint julep, but since we’re here in Rhode Island, I allow some wiggle room for exploration. I love Sons of Liberty New England Bourbon out of South Kingstown, which has the appropriate ABV (46 percent) for making mint juleps. Made with locally grown corn, SOL manages graceful undertones of vanilla and a wash of caramel notes balanced with a lick of heat on the palate. It’s perfect for sipping neat if you’re so inclined, but extra glow-y with crushed ice and fresh mint.

Kentucky Colonel mint is king where it comes tradition and is among my favorites, though orange and chocolate mint also go splendidly with this drink. The beauty of the julep is that you can achieve some lovely aromatic variation depending on the variety of mint you choose.

To enjoy this julep, raise the cup to your lips and deeply inhale the glorious bouquet of fresh mint. If you’re sipping from a silver vessel, handle your julep from the lip and the hem of the tin, or else you’ll end up with a slush of fingerprints on your icy cup. This is A-OK in my book, but is considered a faux pas by those who have been drinking juleps all their lives. Here, I opted for glass in order to solve the mystery of what color a mint julep actually is. One last note before you raise a cup to the fine steeds of racing day: Be aware that you’ll be sipping an icy bath of lots of bourbon and just a little simple syrup. The recipe calls for 3 ounces of whiskey; consider adjusting your intake as you would for a night of martinis.

 

The Kentucky Derby

Mint Julep Recipe