Bordiga - Aperitivo (1L)
Bordiga Description
Aperitivo is a style of bitter liqueur that is relatively low in alcohol (16% by volume), moderately bitter, and moderately sweet. Bordiga’s artisanal version is made entirely in their distillery, with no purchased infusions; the best-known commercial example of the Aperitivo style is Aperol. The predominant flavors of Bordiga’s Aperitivo are aromatic herbs, citrus (mostly bitter orange peel) and rhubarb (Chinese rhubarb root). It is used in a number of classic Italian aperitifs, such as the Spritz (three parts Prosecco, two parts Aperitivo, one part soda water, over ice) or by itself with a splash of soda water.
At the end of the nineteenth century Pietro Bordiga owned a famous bar in Turin. He decided to use his knowlege of botanical flavorings and the extraction of essential oils to open a distillery, and he decided to locate it in a city near the mountains where the wild plants used to make amaro and other spirits grew. He chose the city of Cuneo, a little over an hour south of Turin and close to the Occitan Alps. The climate here, influenced the mountains and by proximity to the ocean just over the Alps, creates herbs that are particularly rich in essential oils and aromas.
The distillery used to be in the historic heart of Cuneo, and was then moved to the road just outside town leading to the mountains, where it is now. At the heart of the building is the ancient copper pot-still that dates from 1888. Bordiga make all of their own infusions, and many of the wild plants they use, such as gentian, juniper and chamomile, are still gathered in the Alps nearby. They produce Vermouth, including the classic Vermouth di Torino; Gin; and a number of Amaros (herbal liqueurs with a balance towards bitterness). (from the producer)
