Italian alcohols
The Russians have their vodka, the Scots own single malt whisky, the English dig gin and Pimm's. But the Italians have something rarer and more wonderful again writes Benito Drovandi
Love's bitter secrets revealed as Averna
Punt e mes is an Italian vermouth which literally means “point and a half” and owes its name to a sudden rise on the stock market which in turn greatly benefited the Carpano distillery. Thankfully, they released Punt e Mes to commemorate the occasion. Its distinct bitter taste is a mix between regular vermouth and Campari and is easily substituted in classic cocktails like the Negroni (gin, sweet vermouth and Campari) and the Americano (Campari, gin and soda).
Amaretto is another classic Italian liqueur with a bittersweet flavour of almonds and apricots. The name combines Amaro (bitter) and Amore (love) and is indicative of its taste and creation. In 1525, Leonardo Da Vinci and then-student Bernardino Luini were commissioned to paint frescoes in a Saronno church. Inspiration for the focal Madonna came in the form of a young innkeeper who in appreciation of her lover Luini created a bitter love tonic of apricot kernels steeped in brandy.
Immensely popular in Italy with a small following in Australia is the Amaro or bitter Averna. It’s still produced from the original 1868 recipe of aromatic herbs, medicinal roots and citrus rinds steeped in alcohol before caramel is finally added.
In Roman mythology, Averna was queen of the dead – you have been warned! Speaking of evil spirits, Strega is an Italian herbal liqueur which, when translated, simply means ‘the witch’ (she makes an appearance on the bottle). Benevento, the home of Strega, has many tales of witchcraft and legend dictates that once upon a time, locals would gather negative possessions and burn these items together in a massive bonfire with a witch placed on top. This is how the spirit got its name.
Limoncello is a lemon liqueur originally produced in southern Italy and is served chilled as a digestive. Unlike most liqueurs, limoncello is made simply by macerating lemon peels in alcohol and rested before sugar is added. (note: when making limoncello at home, pure alcohol must be used – vodka will not extract all the lemon oils from the peels).
The most intriguing of all Italian spirits and the over-indulgent bartender’s secret friend is Fernet Branca. For the uninitiated this aperitif of more than 40 herbs and spices has been compared to the ubiquitous and inferior Jagermeister but could similarly be compared with old sump oil. The ingredients remain a closely guarded secret like most liqueurs, but it’s estimated that 75% of the world’s saffron consumption is used in the making of Fernet Branca– a spice that in large enough quantities can be made into MDMA or ecstasy. Strangely enough, San Francisco has the largest consumption of this product per capita worldwide.