Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto Liqueur

Lightly citrus on the nose with hints of rose and lavender. On the palate, fresh tones of ripe citrus fruits are balanced with a light bitter and floral spice before giving way to a complex and long lasting finish.

Gold 2017 - International Wine & Spirits Competition

Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto Liqueur was selected as a recommended spirit to pair with Shaker & Spoon’s Puttin’ on the Spritz.Italian Affair Box by Mia Mastroianni, Dario Doimo, and Valentino Longo.

“It's no secret that I love a spritz, as well as a solid aperitivo hour, and Italicus aligns so perfectly with the Italian cocktail culture and lifestyle that I adore,” raves Mia. This spirit was specifically created using citrus and floral ingredients. Together, they achieve the perfect notes of bitterness balanced with delicate aromatics. More importantly, they make a wonderful addition to any home bar.

As Dario says, “Bright and zesty, Italicus is taking the cocktail world by storm with its unique flavor profile. It’s the perfect aperitivo! There’s no finer way to enjoy la dolce vita."

“Italicus is a beautiful take on a classic rosolio, one of the oldest Italian aperitivos and one enjoyed by Italian royalty!” says Valentino.

Revered Italian barman Giuseppe Gallo may just be one of the driving forces behind the worldwide popularization of amari, aperitivos, vermouths, and other Italian hallmarks of cocktail culture.

And now he's given us Italicus.

In creating this distinctive spirit, he challenged himself to revive a nearly-forgotten style of liqueur called Rosolio. Its an Italian aperitivo that is quite uncommon, especially in the US. However, Rosolio dates back to at least the 15th century, and was known in the 19th century as the “the drink of kings.” It is typically a liqueur derived from rose petals, though here bergamot brings citrus to the forefront. Torino Distillati in Moncalieri, Italy produces Italicus. The Vergano family of craft distillers founded the distillery in 1906. They used a recipe for Rosolio liqueur dating back to the 1800s as the foundation for Italicus. Here Silician citrons and Calabrian bergamot oranges from a protected area of origin (IGP) are gently pressed in cold water. This is a process called sfumatura, which releases their essential oils—though it is rarely practiced in modern day distillation, as the botanicals macerate for up to 10 days (an unusual length of time).

Today, most distilleries shortcut this process, but the founders of Italicus adhere to the Rosolio's traditional production methods to ensure a best-quality product. The mixture is then fortified with natural beet sugar, Italian neutral grain spirit, and pure water.