A-18

"Deserted highway on the edge of the sea"... here, friends of the east coast of Sicily, follow the words of Venditti and put on your comfortable car, drive down the famed highway Messina-Catania and come in my beautiful Messina.

In Midtown, inside the recreational harbour, you can admire an enchanting place lain down to surface of the Strait of Messina, almost suspended between sky and sea and from which you  enjoy a breathtaking view: the Marina of the Neptune Yachting Club.

The Bartender Christian Costantino has celebrated the motorway section just travelled to arrive at shore of the Strai with wise hands and a good dose of originality, creating a cocktail inspired to the perfumes of Sicily: A18.

The elements, in fact, are all totally made in Sicily: a mix of carob syrup, red oranges, Limone Interdonato, bitter "Amara" produced on the slopes of the Etna, white wine "Secca del Capo" and a lemon foam aromatized to the Passito wine.

The look is well groomed and elegant.

The cocktail, clear and orange light coloured, is served, in a glass "Old-fashioned" (of cylindrical form, low and rounded) and we recommends to appreciate it to the best to taste as appetizer, before dinner.

On the top of the glass, to embellish the mixture, a dried orange slice and some colored floral decoration are placed on the foam to the Passito.

The aromatic nuances of the Passito wine of the Aeolian islands, no doubt, enrich the aromatized lemon foam and give to taste a first effect sweet and fresh at the same time.

In fact, the Sicilian citrus aromas break the important taste given by the Etnean bitter and a light aroma of Campari and they good marry with the delicacy of Sicilian raw materials, fancifully mixted inside this savory drink.

A cocktail certainly succeeded and refreshing, valued ally to fight the heat of the Sicilian summer evenings.

Well done to the inventor of the A18 for this magic love dedication to our beautiful Sicily.

Cheers!

LadySirah

Marina del Nettuno  Yacthing Club, Messina, Viale della Libertà, Batteria Masotto
https://www.marinadelnettuno.it/

Cetriolino ("pickle")

<<you never tasted the "Cetriolino" prepared by Master Mike?!? You do not know what you're missing !!! >>

A resounding chorus of stunned grimaces mocked my gap.

And so, pointing in pride, I decided to try this famous cocktail on the banks of the Strait and to know its equally well-known panormita creator, now firmly established in Messina for decades.

The refined "studio" where Maestro Michele expresses his talent is at the gates of Torre Faro Village, in the Municipality of Messina, and bears the name of the light breeze, which in the summer refreshes the inhabitants of the Strait from the bites of the heat : the Grecale.

The restaurant, led by young and skilled entrepreneurs from Messina, can easily be defined as an emerald set in the string of the Strait coast, pierced by the turquoise rays coming from the mirror of water in front.

So, curious and full of expectations, on a warm summer evening, I found myself accommodated, in a green space, on a sea view sofa, immersed in a magical atmosphere in front of the shimmering lights of the Strait of Messina , cradled by the sweet sound of the waves that leaned slowly on the shore.

Enthusiastic and already enchanted by the location, I finally dedicated myself to the sensorial study of Cetriolino®.

It is a cocktail with a light alcohol base, which can be consumed indifferently before or after dinner (as an aperitif or digestive).

Its presentation is well taken care of and elegant: the drink is served in a crystal "asti" glass goblet that enhances the bright green color of the mixture.

The rim of the cup is sprinkled with a fine bronze-colored powder and a thin slice of cucumber is stuck to the edge for decoration.

The consistency brings to mind the famous Messina granita, even if the drink is slightly more liquid.

Considering that on the composition of the cocktail its creator maintains the maximum discretion (so much so that the ingredients are omitted in the menu), I have entrusted my taste buds with the burden of describing as best as they perceive.

The first sip reveals a mix of fresh and intriguing flavors: the predominant taste of the cucumber centrifuge is well amalgamated with lemon granita, with lime and mint flavor. The presence, on the edge of the cup, of cinnamon powder mixed with salt, gives the drink a spicy note absolutely pleasant and engaging.

The light base of the cocktail, given by the presence of vodka, means that this can also be enjoyed by those who do not like to drink very alcoholic beverages.

The Cetriolino® can definitely be called the summer cocktail par excellence and I do not find it difficult to have it elected as my favorite!

Beware, however, from imitations: around Messina you will find many variations, which have nothing to do with the cocktail prepared by Master Mike the panormita.

Needless to say that, since then, my sensory journey in search of the fifty shades of taste in the Cetriolino ® has been repeated countless times ... creating a sort of real addiction.

Just thinking, right now, I felt like ... and then tonight Cetriolino ® is, in the background the magical frame of the Strait.

Cheers!

LadySyrah

Grecale, Via Canalone 124, Messina

http://grecalemessina.it/