Hands down, my favorite country to visit is Italy. I spent a semester living in Florence during college and absolutely fell in love with the country…the language, the culture, the fashion, the food…everything. However, one thing I definitely didn’t explore enough in those days was the drinking culture. Cheap wine and regretful shots aside, let’s just say that my drinking tastes weren’t so well developed back then. During my last trip there last winter, I had to make up for lost time and explore allll the booze. Well, today’s post features 2 lovely products made by the Italian liqueur producer, Lucano.
Outside of the prominent wine culture, I’d say the top 3 other distinctive Italian drink staples are: amaro, grappa, and limoncello (probably in that order).
- Amaro is a bittersweet liqueur (check out more here) typically drank before and after meals – before to open up the appetite (also known as an “aperitivo” or “bitter”) and after to aid digestion (“digestivo”).
- Grappa is a distilled spirit made from grape pomace – the skins, stems, and seeds of crushed grapes…basically the leftovers of the wine-making process.
- And of course, limoncello is a sweetened lemon liqueur, made with the aromatic peels of luscious south Italy lemons.
There is SUCH an abundant variety of products for each of those categories, and the selection at bars, restaurants, coffeeshops, and grocery stores tend to favor the locally-produced items from the region (particularly for amaro). However, a few popular ones could be found almost everywhere, Amaro Lucano being amongst them. I was also pleasantly surprised to discover that Lucano also makes a limoncello, which is DELICIOUS and aromatic, made with the fresh zest of Sorrento-grown lemons.
So, onto the cocktails!
La Rosa Gialla
Recipe
- 2oz light rum
- .75oz Lucano Anniversario Limoncello
- .5oz lime juice
- .25oz lemon juice
- .25oz honey syrup (2:1 honey/water mix – mixing with water will help the honey dissolve)
- 1 tsp rose water (choose a quality Mediterranean or French brand – I like Cortas)
Shake all ingredients together with ice, then double strain into a coupe glass.
This twist on a daiquiri is refreshing, floral, and super delightful! Rose, honey, and lemon…need I say more? This beautiful trinity of flavors is a match made in heaven. Be careful though – this is a sneaky little drink…with a full ~2.5oz of liquor, it’ll catch ya off guard. 😉
Secrets of Savoy
Recipe
- 2oz mezcal
- 1oz Amaro Lucano
- .25oz maraschino liqueur
Stir all ingredients with ice, then strain over a large fresh ice cube. Express the oils from a lemon twist over top, and drop in.
If you enjoy Negroni-type drinks, this is one to try. Though totally different in flavor from a Negroni (or even a mezcal Negroni for that matter), it matches the bittersweet and herbal intensity. It’s smoky, bitter, dark, and oh so good. I pick up a lot of ginger-like notes from the Lucano, which makes it a fantastic match with mezcal, and the maraschino adds just the right level of herbal complexity. Finished with the fresh aromatic oils from a lemon twist….mmm bellissima!
*this is a sponsored post, but all opinions are my own*