Rosé? No Way. 5 beautiful bottles to gift the dinner party host

 The intoxicating chorus of Rosé's pop and clink will always be a warm weather hit single, but we're hoping this summer's anthem is more about these literally red, haute, alt-rocking bottles.  Each pick will incite refrains of oohs and ahhs when you present this as your dinner party host gift, but they're so easy to drink, it won't be long before you're singing the chorus to Drunk in Love.

Though they all differ in their bitter, sweet, and spice, they're united in the fact they can be drank neat, chilled, on the rocks, in a spritz, or in cocktails.

Happy gifting!

Lo-Fi Gentian Amaro, $24.50 - The king of our never-fail cocktails (equal parts this and anything else with a squeeze of citrus), this doozey has big hits of hibiscus, citrus, ginger, spice, cinchona bark and bitter roots.

Angeleno California Amaro, $32.50 - The darling for any Angeleno's home bar, this beauty is a light and lovely complex mix of powerful SoCal oranges with soft herbal aromas, ripe fruit and bitter roots. 

Bordiga Rosso di Torino Vermouth, $26.50 - This bottle's desert scape design makes us feel the need to hydrate, quickly.  We stock up 2 by 2 on this cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, anise, mint, gentian, grapefruit, orange, and lemon packed vermouth.  

Bonal Gentiane-Quina Aperitif, $18.50 - Originally made in 1865, and immediately nicknamed “ouvre l’appetit" (key to the appetite) it is made by infusing gentian root, herbs from the Grande Chartreuse Mountains, and cinchona (quinine), in a Mistelle base, producing a wine that is known for its complexity.

St. George Bruto Americano Liqueur, $29.50 - This hometown hero's bitterness comes from gentian root; the citrus notes mostly from California-grown Seville orange; and the woodsy notes from balsam fir and bark from the California buckthorn.  Makes a mean Negroni.