If your favorite fine dining restuarant had its own type of vermouth or other aperitif, what would it taste like?
Haus, an aperitif maker in Healdsburg, has co-created a line of aperitifs with restaurants across the country, including two in San Francisco, to help support them and their employees during COVID-19.
Working with Brandon Jew of Mister Jiu’s and Sara and Evan Rich of Rich Table, Haus’ winemaker Woody Hambrecht created all-natural apéritifs to reflect each restaurant’s culinary approach.
The Rich Table aperitif is made with herbaceous shiso, commonly found on the restaurant’s menu,
and is accented by citrus and fragrant spices. For the Mister Jiu’s aperitif, Hembrecht went warm and smoky, with black cardamom, lapsang tea, spicy ginger, and floral osmanthus. Add sparkling wine, lemon peel and a few dashes of bitters and you’re set.
The low-ABV apéritifs, which are sold in sets of two for $80, are handcrafted with real fruits, herbs and botanicals in Sonoma County. Pre-order directly from the restaurants at www.drink.haus/the-restaurant-project. Restaurants immediately receive 100 percent of the profits. Products start shipping in mid-May.
“Like millions of Americans around the country, we’re desperate to help restaurants and their employees,” said Haus co-founder and Co-CEO Helena Price Hambrecht in a press release. “We realized that the existing options – like gift cards or take out – simply weren’t sustainable or scalable. By creating a high quality culinary product and selling it online, we’re glad we can help restaurants receive financial support from their fans and patrons across the country.”
The Restaurant Project, as it’s called, launched with nine restaurant partners, including Kismet and Hippo in Los Angeles and Èlephante in Santa Monica. Haus will launch a second round of partners in a few weeks. The project will run for as long as restaurants are impacted by COVID-19.
