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Sometimes hitting the gym yields more than six-pack abs. In the case of Kyle Pressman, meeting Crooked Stave owner-brewer Chad Yakobson during a workout led to a mentorship that helped Kyle and his wife, Cindy, launch their three-month-old, Golden-based aperitivi project, Atōst. With Yakobson’s support, the couple has created a line of self-dubbed “American aperitivi” that hit a 21 percent ABV sweet spot between wine and harder hooch. Made by infusing a neutral grape spirit with botanicals, Chardonnay, and Colorado honey, the drinks are less bitter and less sugary than classics like Campari. Atōst’s four current offerings ($35 to $40) span a range of appealing flavors: Roots is herbaceous, redolent of spicy ginger and star anise; Bloom is more floral and strawberry-forward; Citrus features several types of fruit imported from Santa Paula, California (the citrus capital of the United States and where Cindy was born and raised); and Woods, aged in Laws Whiskey House barrels, carries notes of caramel, cinnamon, and vanilla. Available at Marczyk Fine Wines and via delivery at atost.co
