Vermouth, Aperitifsand Digestifs
This section contains a wide range of styles from light-bodied vermouths, to bitter fernets, and full-bodied Barolo chinatos.
While aperitif and digestif are used to cover a wide range of drinks that can be drunk before a meal, there are a few main types to be aware of:
- The Italian for ‘bitter’, amaro is a herbal liqueur that is usually drunk as a digestif. Produced by macerating herbs and spices in alcohol, then bottled at around 30% abv.
- Barolo Chinato
- Cinchona bark is steeped in Barolo wine (a full-bodied red made from the Nebbiolo grape) and flavoured with herbs and spices to produce a full-bodied robust digestif at around 16% abv.
- An extra-bitter style of amaro, produced by adding herbs and spices to spirit, and usually bottled at around 40% abv.
- An aromatised fortified wine, made by adding botanicals to wine which has had spirit added to it. They can be sweet or dry, red, white or rosé and are usually released at around 15%-20% abv.