L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, AUGUST 24 2023 www.italoamericano.org 28 L'Italo-Americano E nough has been w r i t t e n a b o u t Italian wine to f i l l o n e o f R o m e ' s 2 8 libraries. This comes as no surprise since vino Italiano continues to generate vol- umes of narrative, conversa- tion, internet posts, and loyal consumers the world over. T h o u g h I t a l i a n w i n e i s thriving with growing aware- ness and consumption, the country also produces anoth- e r a l c o h o l i c d r i n k w i t h a niche all of its own. With less fanfare but no less distinc- tion, Italian liqueurs have e s t a b l i s h e d a f o o t h o l d i n restaurants, bars, on dinner tables, and wherever people h a v e a c q u i r e d a t a s t e f o r palatable – and occasional medical – elixirs. Liqueurs essentially are alcoholic fluids formulated with a fusion of mostly nat- ural ingredients that endow various flavors and alcohol levels. Additives are included to influence the taste of what is commonly known as spir- i t s , c o r d i a l s , b i t t e r s , a n d schnapps. In Italian terms, they fit into two basic categories – aperitivo (perks up the a p p e t i t e ) a n d d i g e s t i v o (aids digestion after a meal). Apertivo is not a happy hour d r i n k i n t h e t r a d i t i o n a l sense. It is simply meant to stimulate the appetite. Diges- tivo is somewhat of a cura- tive drink that helps digest food. L i q u e u r s a r e a s r i c h in history as they are in fla- vors. Recipes for them have b e e n f o u n d i n E g y p t i a n tombs and Greek scrolls. But it was primarily the monks of Europe, especially Italian monks, who first developed them as a way to infuse herbs for medicinal purposes dur- ing the 13th century. Liqueurs played a major role in ancient cultures for b o t h h e a l i n g a n d s o c i a l drinking. In the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean, ingredients were abundant and used to create beverages enjoyed by Arabian rulers a n d E g y p t i a n p h a r a o h s . Other cultures such as Chi- nese and Viking included rice and honey to sweeten their spirits. The Greeks set an example for antique Romans to start producing their own concoc- tions. Thus it was in Italy that the study and creation of distillation and experiments i n i t i a t e d t h e f l a v o r i n g o f alcohol with herbs, spices, fruit, plants, flowers, roots, bark, and nuts to conceive curative elixirs. During the Middle Ages, the distilling process was perfected and experiments resulted in combining alco- hol with a potpourri of natur- al components. The idea was not to create a social drink but to introduce medica- tion to cure assorted ail- ments. Holy orders were one of the first to undertake what w a s r e f e r r e d t o a s A q u a Vitae, or "water of life." They believed it was their divine duty as "doctors" to heal the sick. The experimentation did not remain in monaster- i e s f o r v e r y l o n g , a s t h e d e m a n d f o r t h e s e e l i x i r s grew. Alchemists began for- mulating their own liqueurs w i t h s e c r e t e l e m e n t s a n d s o l d t h e m i n s h o p s t h a t became the early version of modern pharmacies. W h e n C a t h e r i n e d e Medici married French king Henry II, she implanted the tradition of Italian liqueurs i n t o F r e n c h c u l t u r e . S h e h e l p e d p o p u l a r i z e s u c h drinks among the élite of Europe, who often feasted on long, multi-course dinners ideal for post-meal digestivo. Soon, more liqueurs were i n v e n t e d , e v e n b y r o y a l courts themselves, as food poisoning became a common f e a r . D u r i n g t h i s p e r i o d l i q u e u r s , a n d e s p e c i a l l y digestivi, started to make the transition from medicinal to social. Throughout the 18th and 1 9 t h c e n t u r i e s , r e s e a r c h gained momentum as several books were published on the subject of spirits and distilla- t i o n , h e l p i n g t o f u r t h e r s p r e a d t h e i r p o p u l a r i t y . However, liqueurs became more fashionable in the late 1 9 t h c e n t u r y , e s p e c i a l l y absinthe, a 79-proof worm- wood-based spirit with hallu- cinogenic properties. Even- tually, the drink was deemed dangerous and banned in some countries. During that same period, aperitivi and digestivi started t o c a t c h o n i n A m e r i c a . With more Italians immi- grating to the US and the return of American soldiers stationed in or near Italy during World War II, the introduction and demand for Italian liqueurs expanded. In the 1960s, trendy cocktails like Galliano and Tuaca, both favorites of US war vet- erans, began showing up on retail shelves, in bars and homes around the country. Soon, other Italian liqueurs followed. However, the fla- vors of these imports, served straight as a before or after- dinner potion, were not a taste or cultural experience to which most Americans were accustomed. Since there's such a wide v a r i e t y o f I t a l i a n d r i n k s available in restaurants, bars, and stores, serious drinkers are encouraged to keep try- ing and testing to find those that best suit their palate. Unlike wine, these liqueurs are usually not compatible with food pairings. Their true pleasure is that they offer a reason to start and/or con- clude a pleasant meal with conversation and compan- ionship. For their benefits to be f u l l y a p p r e c i a t e d , t h e s e liqueurs should be served properly. They are tradition- CHUCK PECORARO Italian liqueurs have a niche all of their own Bitter liqueur made with artichokes, known with its brand name of Cynar, is a popular Italian "amaro," used as a "diges- tivo" but also in many cocktails (Photo: Antonio Garavante/Dreamstime) Frangelico liqueur is made with hazelnuts. Because of its origin, the bottle has the shape of a monk, with the traditional rope around the waist (Photo: Sandra Chavez/Dreamstime) Cntinued to page 30 LIFESTYLE FASHION FOOD ARTS ADVICE

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