Kingbird is a tropical, dry, and delicately bitter, aperitif vermouth. A base of white wine, grown in the Finger Lakes region of NY state, is fortified and infused with fresh pineapple, lemon zest, grapefruit, allspice, cardamom, gentian root, and cinchona bark, among other fruit and botanicals.

The primary inspiration for the flavor profile of the spirit comes from the classic tiki cocktail the ‘Jungle Bird’ in which the warm spice and caramel notes of dark rum are balanced with citrusy bitter campari, the tropical freshness of pineapple, and a bit of lime.

We sought to channel the same balance of bitterness, freshness, and fruitiness with Kingbird to create a new flavor profile in the aperitif-vermouth space that would be both a charming entry way into the world of bitter, aperitif, botanical spirits for the casual drinker as well a compelling new tool for the cocktail bartender to employ in place of an herbaceous European vermouth or an intensely bitter italian style red aperitivo.

Technically, as an aperitif wine made bitter with the use of gentian and quinine (cinchona), it falls in the Americano or Quinquina family of spirits, which includes Cocchi, Bonal, Cap Corse, Byrrh, among others, but it’s flavor, texture, and abv put Kingbird in a unique place that captures the charms of that category while incorporating some elements of a red bitter like Aperol or Cappelletti.