The Bartender Journal Italian Aperitivo Tour continues with a visit to the Gruppo Montenegro amenities.
One of many nice issues about this Aperitivo Tour was that it allowed us the chance to see proper into the center of a few of the manufacturers we all know and love. We have been taken on a tour of the Gruppo Montenegro distillery and amenities that are situated simply outdoors Bologna with hosts Matteo Bonoli (Grasp Herbalist) and Rudi Carraro (World Model Ambassador for Amaro Montenegro), who then took us again into the centre of Bologna for one of many spotlight meals of our total journey.
The model
The Amaro Montenegro story begins in Bologna, Italy in 1885 the place Amaro Montenegro was created by Stanisalo Cobianchi. Stanislao deserted his household’s want for him to affix the church and as a substitute he traveled the world, accumulating botanicals. Upon returning dwelling to Bologna, he established the Cobianchi Stanislao Steam Distillery. Following years of experiments, his Elisir Lungavita (elixir of life) was born. 11 years after Stanislao created Elisir Lungavita, the Princess Elena of Montenegro married Prince Victor Emmanuel III and would quickly develop into the Queen of Italy. Stanislao renamed his amaro after Princess Elena, calling it Amaro Montenegro.
There’s numerous secrecy surrounding the recipe for Amaro Montenegro which is one thing widespread with just about each amaro and vermouth in Italy. Bonoli (who has an all-access cross to all areas of manufacturing) tells us that with a view to restrict the publicity to the manufacturing processes the extraction plant is situated in Teramo whereas the mixing occurs in Bologna. The those who work in Bologna and Teramo by no means meet.
The distillery
Grasp herbalist since 2015, Matteo Bonoli is the steward of the recipes for Amaro Montenegro and the corporate’s different spirits. In addition they produce bucketloads of Vecchia Romagna brandy proper right here, a product Bonoli labored on for a few years additionally.
He’s certainly one of our tour guides, together with World Amaro Montenegro Model Ambassador Rudi Carraro. It’s a tour not afforded to most individuals and we’re equipped with lab coats, hair nets and smart manufacturing unit flooring footwear. There’s numerous secrecy surrounding the recipe for Amaro Montenegro which is one thing widespread with just about each amaro and vermouth in Italy. Bonoli (who has an all-access cross to all areas of manufacturing) tells us that with a view to restrict the publicity to the manufacturing processes the extraction plant is situated in Teramo whereas the mixing occurs in Bologna. The those who work in Bologna and Teramo by no means meet.
In a small tasting room in the course of the manufacturing unit flooring, we’re handled to a tasting of the vary, all the things from the total vary of Vecchia Romagna (together with the comparatively Riserva Anniversario – a novel mix of outdated and new brandies the youngest of which had spent 23 years in oak) however with a giant concentrate on the Amaro Montenegro. Amaro Montenegro is made with 40 botanicals utilizing three processes: boiling, maceration, and distillation. A few of these botanicals embody: candy & bitter oranges, petite dried oranges, coriander seeds, marjoram, oregano, artemista mix, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. We bought up shut to those botanicals together with ‘The Premio’. (see extra beneath).
The Six Notes & The Premio
Bonoli explains to us that there are 12 essences of Amaro Montenegro, that are then blended into six notes. The ultimate and basic component of this distinctive Amaro is known as the ‘Premio’ (it’s so potent you’ll be able to’t style it). Created by the Grasp Herbalist, the Premio, which means ‘prize’ in Italian, is a micro-distillate that creates the unrivalled, delicate, complexity of Amaro Montenegro. It’s what makes it distinctive. Amaro Montenegro is the proper base for each basic and experimental cocktails and but, with such a novel and sophisticated flavour profile, it is usually a cocktail all by itself.
