Looking for a unique new ingredient for your back bar or want to up your cocktail recipe game? Look no further than the obscure but amazingly delicious Barolo Chinato! Hailing from the northern Italian province of Piemonte, this beautiful concoction comes from one of the world’s great red wines.
The Origins of Barolo Chinato
Unsurprisingly, the base for Barolo Chinato is red wine from the region of Barolo, a sub-region of Piemonte. This wine of the same name is made exclusively from the Nebbiolo grape, and Barolo wine is also known as the “wine of kings” in Italy. At a high level, Barolo is an age-worthy red wine known for the classic-tasting note of “tar and roses”, referring to the balance between fresh floral notes and an earthy character, both of which the wine is famous for.
Barolo Chinato is a unique product believed to have been created by Dr. Giuseppe Cappellano in the late 1800s. Cappellano was a pharmacist whose family also owned vineyards in the famed village of Serralunga in Barolo and he first created Barolo Chinato as a digestive aid for his clients. Today, the Cappellano family still make the benchmark Barolo Chinato with the same recipe today! The exact recipe, which remains a closely guarded secret, is passed down to each generation in the form of a handwritten letter.
More About Barolo Chinato
A form of aromatized wine, Barolo Chinato is similar to a vermouth. To make Barolo Chinato, a combination of herbs, barks, and spices are steeped in a neutral spirit or grappa to create a complex infusion. Cinchona bark is commonly used as a bittering agent. The exact recipe varies between producers, and the combination of ingredients is often kept secret. The infused spirit is then blended with Barolo wine and a touch of sugar to balance out the intense bitter quality of the herbal infusion.
The end result is something between a red vermouth and an amaro, often bottled between 16% and 18% alcohol. Being an aromatized wine, Barolo Chinato won’t last forever once it’s opened. We recommend refrigerating and consuming it within a month of opening it.
How to Enjoy Barolo Chinato
While not inexpensive, Barolo Chinato is one of the world’s most unique aromatized wines! One of our favourites here at Fifth & Vermouth, we highly recommend giving it a shot. There are many producers of Barolo Chinato, so keep your eyes peeled the next time you’re at a specialty liquor store. Brands such as Cappellano, Cocchi, Pio Cesare, G.D. Vajra and more are a great introduction to this amazing wine!
There are plenty of ways to enjoy Barolo Chinato. One of the most common is to serve it as a digestive after dinner, either neat (chilled or not) or on the rocks (with an optional twist of lemon). Barolo Chinato also makes for a great cocktail ingredient if you’re a fan of bitter flavours. The next time you whip up a cocktail, try substituting Barolo Chinato for sweet vermouth in a Negroni or Manhattan.
Want something a little more unique? Try the Darkside cocktail recipe, created in 2008 by Adam Bernbach in Washington, DC! Check out the recipe below.
The Darkside Cocktail Recipe
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- 2.25 oz Plymouth gin
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- ¾ oz Barolo Chinato
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- 3 dashes of Peychaud’s bitters
Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice and stir until chilled. Strain into a Professional Series Coupe Glass, garnish with a brandied cherry, and enjoy! Try a taste of history with this amazing cocktail today.
Quality Bar Tools for Home and Professional Bartenders
Looking for the ingredients that make up a great cocktail? Or looking for some bar equipment to spruce up your home bar or add a touch of class? Find quality barware, glassware, bitters, and more at Fifth & Vermouth! At Fifth & Vermouth, cocktails are our passion and we take pride in helping you keep your bar stocked and beautiful. Have questions for us? Get in touch today and let us know how we can be of service.