L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 2017 www.italoamericano.org 14 L'Italo-Americano MANUELA CARACCIOLO T he Torino flavored wine returns to the spotlight of cocktails on the bar top with the vintage atmosphere from the beginning of the century, not only in the Piedmontese capital but throughout Italy and the world. In a bottle of vermut (as it is Italian then franchised as ver- mouth) we find years of wine history, from its healing proper- ties from the times of the Romans (Hippocrates, who fla- vored his wine with herbs, spices and honey), to the alcoholic- based herbal infusions created in monasteries in the Middle Ages until finally reaching the tradition of bitters and liqueurs with the birth of modern distillation and mixing. And the figures speak clearly: demand for vermouth, after years of hardship, is increasing world- wide (about 5 million bottles just for Vermut di Torino (Turin's Vermuth), while global sales of vermouth and flavored drinks are close to 99 million bottles). One reason for its return, which saw Asti make advances thanks to the presence of an industry brand such as Cocchi, is its roots in the village of San Pietro and today in markets all over the world, and a tradition that saw to produce vermouth from the most imported wineries, especially from Canellese. But what was this versatile drink originally and what has become today? It was around 1600 that the first flavored wines were pre- pared in Germany, infusing a few herbs and roots predominantly in artemisia (absinthe), called Wermuthwein (in German Wermuth, which means absinthe). To be perfected and marketable, it was necessary to wait until 1786 when, in Turin, Antonio Benedetto Carpano cre- ated a vermouth-based (white muscat wine mixed with other wines) infusion of herbs and roots along with fifty other ingre- dients. In 1800, a tradition of ver- mouths were soon developed in the city such as Cora, Cinzano, Martini & Rossi, Gancia, Anselmo, Ballor, Calissano, Chazaletts and others, which went on to be added to the histor- ical producers Carpano and Cinzano. Vermouth has marked the mixing history of the historic Manhattan, whose legend claims that it was born at the Manhattan Club in New York during a ban- quet in 1874, organized by states- man Winston Churchill's mother and of the Negroni, born at the café Casoni in Florence thanks to the suggestion of Count Camillo Negroni between 1919 and 1920. The first advertising cam- paigns in the twentieth century, with signed graphics by artists such as Marcello Dudovich and Achille Luciano Mauzan and Armando Testa, are unforget- table. Today, after the crisis experi- enced by Vermouth in the 1960s, thanks to the efforts of a number of courageous companies such as Cocchi, Berto, Bordiga, Professor Carlo Alberto, Carpano, Chazalettes, Cinzano, Drapò, Gancia, La Canellese, Martini & Rossi, Mulassano, Sperone, Torino Distillati, Tosti, the glamour of this drink has come alive again, showing great signs of recovery especially in recent years with the return to the market of historical brands. Thanks to the acknowledg- ment of the Indicazione Geografica (Ig) Vermouth di Torino / Vermut di Torino, the historicalness of the production of this product has been recog- nized, permanently tied to the city of Turin - says Roberto Bava, Giulio Cocchi's AD, one of the companies that gave a decisive contribution to the work for defining the discipline. In 2016 the Chazalettes fami- ly wanted to collaborate with Cocchi to bring back the ancient splendor of the golden age of vermut di Torino. This project is the "mission" of Francesca Bava, descendant of the historic family of Piedmontese producers. "The strong appeal of my Piemonte," Francesca tells me, "has pushed me to dedicate myself to this project that com- bines the culture of my land with the tradition of old recipes that have been refined and renewed for a young consumer. Today's products are the result of over a year of work between wines, spices and historical research. Since the 1980s, we have wit- nessed a change in the consump- tion of vermouth: it was a niche product that the company has kept a little bit out of affection, in memory of what it symbolized at the turn of the century. "At the time it was widely dis- tributed in the United States and South America, immigration lands, and the Italians wanted it with them to have the traditions of their family and that home-like flavor 'within reach.' "With the passing of time it is clear that it has become influ- enced by local customs and is used in mixology, never by itself, especially in the States. Merely due to the fact that Americans have a different way of approach- ing alcoholic beverages and pre- fer simple cocktails. "Since 2010, I have been pur- suing this project with the com- pany's botanists and with the valuable collaboration of Chazalette. One of my goals is to add a feminine touch to the world of Vermouth, with the variante Rossa (Red Variant), dedicated to Margherita of Savoy and Princess Laetitia. "Personally, I like to drink it in a special glass, with a cube of ice, a spray of soda and a slice of lemon...just like our grandparents would have had it!" Where to find it In Turin, in the heart of the San Salvario district, "Affini" was born from the ashes of "Anselmo", a local symbol of the nouvelle vague vermouth in via Mazzini 37. The featured cock- tails that can be found are «Nuvolari» (campari, red ver- mouth, lemon juice and chinotto liqueur), "Gold in the mouth" (with tears—a French liqueur derived from yellow gentians, white vermouth Contract, mugo pine liquor and 2 drops of bal- samic vinegar) and the "Dop travaj" (an American topped with a rosemary-chestnut honey tonic). In Florence, working in his "Rivalta Caffè" is bartender Rachele Giglioni, one of the fron- trunners of the Martini team fea- turing "Well Done" (a red tag Johnny Walker, Cocchi vermouth from Turin, Alkermes from Santa Maria Novella and Peychaud's bitter and ginger ale) and the timeless "American Cocchi"–in addition to 24 herbs it mixes with white wine and sugar. The journey along the path of vermouth also takes place in Rome, where some of the most interesting flavored mixes can be enjoyed at the speakeasy "Jerry Thomas" or the "Freni e frizioni" ("Brakes and Clutches"). Routes for the rediscovery of vermouth For those who want to master the basic drink, at Pessione di Chieri (Turin), in addition to the guided tour at the Galleria Mondo Martini, the Vermouth Masterclass at Bar Academy offers the discovery of the prepa- ration techniques of distillates and flavored extracts. With the guidance of the secret ancient formula guarded by the Masters, you can put it to the test, provid- ed with the necessary ingredients to create your own personal Vermouth. In Turin there are already Vermouth experiences that accompany the tourist through history and curiosities associated with flavored wines: from the historic center in the San Salvario district, hearing stories about the origins, to the actual tasting in order to understand its features and variations. There is also the opportunity to combine Vermouth with regional products with themed dinners and cock- tails. It was around 1600 that the first flavored wines were prepared in Germany, infusing a few herbs and roots predominantly in artemisia (absinthe), called Wermuthwein (in German Wermuth, which means absinthe) The trend of Vermouth: when the cocktail becomes vintage LIFE PEOPLE PLACES HERITAGE

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