The Spritz Pack - Distelleria Amalfi Aperitivo Liqueur & Spritz

Last Spring, I enjoyed the locally made, ready-to-drink Amalfi Aperitivo Spritz that was launched by Distilleria Amalfi & Co. This year, the company located just north of Toronto launched a 750 mL bottle of their aperitivo liqueur named "Distilleria Amalfi & Co. Aperitivo Liqueur".

Both of these products were created by brothers Davide and Bruno Codispoti, who were born and raised in Vaughan, Ontario. Over the years, the brothers have introduced numerous beverage and food concepts in Canada, including the ever-popular (and one of my personal favourites) "Crazy Uncle" line of cocktails. After many trips to Italy, Davide and Bruno fell in love with the tradition of "Aperitivo Hour" and wanted to bring this tradition back to Canada with the aim of launching an authentic, locally crafted Aperitivo using real sparkling wine in their Spritz and natural flavours in the Aperitivo.

The Distilleria Amalfi & Co. Aperitivo Liqueur, or Amalfi Aperitivo for short, is an Aperitivo Liqueur made in small batches with natural flavours. As printed on the back label, some of the ingredients include Hibiscus flowers, Chamomile blossoms, Rosehips, Lemon peel, and Quinine. You can enjoy this delicious Aperitivo Liqueur chilled or on the rocks, as well as play mixologist. One of surely many recipes is recommended on the back - pour equal parts Amalfi Aperitivo Liqueur and Sparkling Wine over ice, then add a Blood Orange Slice and Mint Leaves to enhance the flavours.

The Aperitivo Liqueur, Spritz, and Toro Bravo sparkling wine are all widely available at the LCBO outlets across Ontario. Enjoy Aperitivo Hour this summer with delicious Aperitivo Liqueur that is currently $2 off for a limited time.

Tasting Notes:

DISTILLERIA AMALFI & CO. APERITIVO LIQUEUR - Ontario, Canada (#19417) - $28.95 $26.95 until July 18
A locally made premium bitter liqueur produced in small batches. On the rocks, this has an attractive, fresh, and fragrant nose of blood orange accented with floral and citrus aromas. There's some initial sweetness on the palate, but it gives way to bitter orange, floral, and citrus notes that carry the mid-weighted palate through to the very long, bitter, floral, and savoury finish. Delicious! Must try.

It's very refreshing (and delicious) when mixed with the Toro Bravo sparkling wine, with a more balanced and even-keeled aroma and flavour profile from start to finish.

AMALFI APERITIVO SPRITZ - Ontario, Canada (#14515) (4 x 355 mL) - $12.95
This ready-to-drink, refreshing cocktail has attractive aromas of sweet blood oranges joined by bitter notes on the spritzy palate. Chill and enjoy or, ideally, pour over ice in a stemmed wine glass and garnish with an orange.

TORO BRAVO SPARKLING SECCO WHITE - Spain (#16191) (D) - $11.95
Made using Spain's traditional cava grapes Macabeo, Parellada, and Xarel-lo, this Charmat method sparkling wine is enclosed by screw cap and has pear, citrus, ripe apple, and floral aromas rise out of the glass. The off-dry (i.e. slightly sweet) palate is frothy and lightly textured with fresh, balanced acidity. It has pleasant aroma replays of pear, citrus, and apple, and floral on the flavour profile that lingers to the finish. Chill well and enjoy. Score: 85 pts

The Amalfi products are proudly represented by Churchill Cellars Ltd.

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Amalfi Aperitivo Spritz (Ontario) - Cocktail Review

While enjoying the great weather we're having today, I opened this Amalfi Aperitivo Spritz that recently launched at the LCBO. It is locally made with premium ingredients here in Ontario and comes in packs of 4 for $12.95.

What is an Aperitivo (Spritz)? The word "Aperitivo" is derived from the Italian verb "aprire" (ah-pree-ray) and means "to open". In Italian culture, an aperitivo is a bitter-sweet herbal meant to whet your appetite. An aperitivo "spritz" adds sparkling wine or soda water to the bitter-sweet aperitivo to make it more refreshing and perfect for hot weather - like today!

In the Amalfi Aperitivo Spritz, they use 22% real sparkling wine, and not "wine flavours" like other ready-to-drink cocktails. Their bitter-sweet aperitivo is made in-house using an infusion of burnt orange and tangerine peels, along with a blend of herbs and roots including quinine. To bring the alcohol down to a highly-quaffable 5%, they use both sparkling wine and soda water, making it well-balanced, easy to drink, and refreshing.

It is best enjoyed during Aperitivo Hour - which is like Happy Hour, but in the style of "La Dolce Vita" - giving particular importance to the inclusion of food and socializing (while practising physical distancing during these novel times). Aperitivo Hour is an Italian tradition that occurs every day at sunset when restaurants and bars set out small snacks, called "cicchetti" (chee-ket-eeh), to accompany the palate-opening drinks. As they say in Italy - Cin cin!

Tasting Note:

AMALFI APERITIVO SPRITZ - Ontario, Canada (#14515) (4 x 355 mL) - $12.95
This ready-to-drink cocktail has pleasing bitter-sweet flavours with touches of orange, citrus, and herbal root notes, while the spritz adds a crisp, refreshing mouthfeel and finish. Ideally served over ice in a stemmed wine glass and garnished with an orange.

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Byrrh Grand Quinquina (France) - Review

Here's an interesting wine-based apertif I received to review and is now available at LCBO locations throughout the province.

Byrrh (pronounced "beer") was created in 1866 by brothers Pallade and Simon Violet in the small village of Thuir, France. Initially, it was distributed in pharmacies and appreciated for its medicinal benefits. Over time, Byrrh became a feature in bistros and grew in popularity through the Belle Époque (1890s - 1910s) and the Années folles (1920s). By 1935, Byrrh was the leading apertif brand in France with sales of more than 35 million litres.

The Bryrrh Grand Quinquina original recipe has remained unchanged since 1866 and is amazingly still produced in the original production facility in Thuir that was designed by Gustave Eiffel (of the famed tower) and created in 1873.

It is hand-crafted and produced by the maceration of the mistelles, naturally sweet and fruity wines (Macabeu and Grenache) which are then infused in alcohol with aromatic plants including coffee, bitter orange, colombo, cocoa, and the finest cinchona (quinine) barks. The final blend is then aged several years in one of the world's largest oak vats (1 million litres).

Tasting Note:

BYRRH GRAND QUINQUINA - Roussillon, France (#440909) (S) - $14.90
Grapey, caramel, nutty, golden raisin aromas, along with hints of sweet spice from the glass. Viscous, silky mouthfeel that's slightly warming with flavours of blackberry, orange peel, raisin, some potpourri and walnut. The palate is initially sweet, but finishes long and on the earthy, nutty side. Ideal as an apertif. I enjoyed this well-chilled, but it can also be mixed into a cocktail. Score: 87 pts

Serving Suggestions:

Byrrh on the Rocks - Served on ice

Byrrh Tonic - 1 part Byrrh Grand Quinquina, 1/2 freshly squeezed Lemon, 1 part Tonic water

Byyrh Blood & Sand - 1 part Byrrh Grand Quinquina, 1 part Te Bheag Scotch Whisky, 1 part freshly squeezed Orange Juice, 1 part Cherry Heering or Filthy Black Cherry

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