Cassis should be Rachael Petach’s middle name. A year and a half ago she introduced C. Cassis, her Hudson Valley version of the French liqueur, the essential ingredient for a Kir. Now with her local blackcurrant liqueur as a base (cassis means black currant in French), she’s introduced a spritz. Some botanicals, honey and citrus peels with seltzer added to the liqueur make for a refreshing, pleasantly fruity yet tart quencher at 5.4 percent alcohol-by-volume. You could go stronger, using it as a cocktail mixer, leaning on its affinity for gin or vodka.
CC Spritz, Sparkling Blackcurrant Aperitif, $22 for four 12-ounce cans, ccassis.com.
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