Created for the r/cocktails contest for April where I (barely) got 1st place! This time, the required ingredients were gin and blueberry.Thinking about blueberries and gin quickly took me into a woodland theme, like picking berries in the forest. To really push that, I decided to use the St. George Terroir gin, which has strong notes of Douglas fir. I had a feeling those flavors would pair great with blueberries, and I was right. I added some lemon since it also pairs great with blueberry. When it comes time to sweeten a drink, I generally try to introduce some modifiers. In addition to simple syrup, I went with the Lo-Fi sweet vermouth. This vermouth is pretty unique. It has a much lighter, fresher quality than most Torino-style vermouths while still having many of the same flavors. I also decided to add a splash of Aperol. Why so little? Well, truthfully, I needed to kill the bottle. But also, I wanted to make the color of the drink just a little red. Little Red? Like the fairy tale! This fit pretty well with the woodland theme, so the name stuck. Of course, Aperol also works great with gin and sweet vermouth, in a very subtle nod to a Negroni (I know it’s not Campari!).The drink is very refreshing overall, and I killed it in only a few short minutes. The Terroir gin can often be overpowering, but here, it just works. I don’t think it would work with another sweet vermouth, but maybe try a blanc vermouth if you can’t find this one. It may be more similar than Cocchi di Torino or something. Despite being such a small pour, the Aperol brings a nice bit of extra citrus and a distinct grapefruit note to the finish. As spring begins in earnest, give this a try on a nice warm day on the patio with some good company. It should be a crowd pleaser. Cheers!