Bittersweet Aperitivo

Grapefruit up front, orange blossom behind it, and a run of aromatic herbs landing on a finish that is genuinely bitter rather than sweetened into submission. Wilderton files this one under bold, herbal and bittersweet, which is an honest label. It is built for spritzing rather than sipping neat. The house pour is two parts aperitivo to three parts club soda over ice with an orange slice, and the bitterness holds its own next to salty food the way an Italian aperitivo is supposed to. Wilderton works out of a distillery and tasting room in Hood River, Oregon, and the 750ml bottle is alcohol free, caffeine free, gluten free, vegan and naturally preserved. Of the 426 reviews posted on the brand's own site, roughly seven in ten are five stars, which is a high bar in a category people usually approach with folded arms.