Suze & Tonic

A while back I took a virtual cocktail class with David Lebovitz when he was promoting his new book, “Drinking French.” He introduced several French liqueurs and being that we were still in Covid lockdown, I decided to order a bunch of them for experimentation, only I tucked them away in my liquor cabinet and forgot about them. Fast forward to last week, when I saw several mentions of a French liqueur called Suze and that is when I remembered that I ordered a bottle of that back in December! Suze is a French apéritif made from gentian root, which is an alpine perennial that grows in the mountains of France and Switzerland. Often referred to as “bitter root”, it definitely has a bitter and earthy taste. It has a curious flavor profile because it starts off sweet like honey or citrus but finishes bitter. It’s similar to Campari in that it has a somewhat syrupy texture. A Suze & Tonic is a refreshing cocktail with a relatively low alcohol level compared to gin. In France, Suze is bottled with a 15% ABV but the exported version is 20%. Many gins are over 40% ABV so if you’re looking for something lighter, Suze is worth trying. I wasn’t sure if I liked it at first sip but it really grows on you. Having never tasted Suze before, I decided to try it by itself on ice, which is really pretty delicious. The sweetness mixed with bitter reminds me of a summer day working in my garden. Its flavors are intriguing and I can see why Suze is being added to classic cocktail recipes. I think it would work really well in a Bee’s Knees or a White Negroni, not to mention all the various spritz options. Over the next few days, it’s supposed to be over 100 degrees in the Pacific Northwest. I see a few Suze & Tonics in my future or maybe just a little apéritif over ice. Cheers!

Suze & Tonic

Ingredients:

1.5 ounces Suze

4 ounces tonic water

lemon or orange slices, as garnish

Method:

Fill a rocks glass with ice, add Suze and top with tonic water. Garnish with lemon or orange slices.