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Posts Tagged ‘amaro’

Ramazzotti

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , on December 7, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Ramazzotti is yet another amaro stalwart that claims to be the first ever bitter digestivo bottled and marketed.  In 1815, a Milanese gentleman by the name of Ausano Ramazzotti, first concocted the amaro using a secret blend of 33 herbs and roots that produce a smooth, bitter taste with hints of vanilla, orange and anise.  Since its humble herbalist shop origins, Ramazzotti has become hugely sucessful around the world, thanks to an iconic advertising campaign, and has remained a common site in many Italian restaurants.  A few nights ago, Ausano’s creation beckoned me at the absurdly sceney Cipriani in London, when we celebrated the 30th birthday of a dear German friend of ours.  I found it rather fitting to enjoy this over-hyped, but still tasty, digestivo after a delicious dinner at Cipriani.

Overall Rating: ★★★★☆                                                      

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Averna

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on November 11, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Averna is yet another digestivo I hold quite dear to my heart, since it is produced in the hometown of my Sicilian ancestors, Caltanissetta.  According to legend, in 1868 the Capuchin* brother Girolamo, of the Santo Spirito Abbey in Caltanissetta, passed on to Salvatore Averna this secret recipe of roots, herbs, and citrus rinds; a typical amaro concoction. What sets Averna apart, however, is the addition of natural caramel, which imbues the bitter amaro with a hint of sweetness that makes Averna smoother and richer, and ultimately much more enjoyable than most other digestivi.

Overall Rating: ★★★★☆

*Interestingly, cappuccino derives its name from the brown color of the robes worn by Capuchin friars.

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Elixir di San Bernardo

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on September 28, 2010| Leave a Comment »

On a somber note, today’s digestivo was discovered during the wake of la ragazza’a grandmother.  As the family mourned her passing, we gathered in her house for stories about her life, accompanied by delicious servings of pasta.  Since the family is Italian, a few choice digestivi were served with the coffee and cake, one of which was a fantastic “amaro-tonico-digestivo” called “Elixir di S. Bernardo”.  To me, this simply tasted like a classic amaro, a blend of bitter herbs and roots.  What makes it notable is the fact that is still dutifully distilled by the Cistercensi friars in the Abbey of Piona on Lake Como. It also has quite a lovely label. Hopefully next time this little known gem will be enjoyed under less unfortunate circumstances.

Overall Rating: ★★★☆☆

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