Sicilian Sipper

Makes 6 drinks

Here’s a drink for all lovers of lusty Italian food. It’s got tomatoes in two forms—juice plus the long-simmered taste of marinara sauce. I think of this as a winter drink, and it goes beautifully with pizza and pasta.

3 garlic cloves

¼ cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves

2 tablespoons firmly packed fresh oregano leaves

½ to 1½ teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste

¾ cup marinara sauce

3 cups tomato juice

⅓ cup red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

9 to 12 ounces vodka or Spicy Vodka (here)

GLASS RIM (OPTIONAL):

2 tablespoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

SUGGESTED GARNISHES:

Fresh fennel stalks with fronds attached

Herbed Parmesan Crisps (here)

Skewers of cherry tomatoes alternated with small balls of fresh mozzarella and folded fresh basil leaves

Lemon wedges

Place the garlic, basil, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, and marinara sauce in a food processor or blender, and purée until smooth. Strain the liquid through a sieve, pressing with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible.

Combine the purée, tomato juice, vinegar, and lemon juice in a pitcher. Season with salt and black pepper to taste, and stir well. Chill well.

Rim 6 (16-ounce) glasses with a combination of kosher salt and Italian seasoning, if desired, following the instructions here.

Pour about 6 ounces (¾ cup) of the mix into a pint glass, add 1½ to 2 ounces of the vodka, and fill the glass completely with ice. Roll the drink between 2 pint glasses to mix and chill for individual servings (see here), or pour the vodka and mix into a pitcher filled with ice and stir well with a long-handled spoon.

Strain the drink into a rimmed glass using a funnel to avoid wetting the rim. Add ice cubes, and garnish each drink with fennel stalks; Parmesan crisps; skewers of cherry tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil leaves; and lemon wedges. Serve immediately.

pilsner