Australia has embraced the Italian Aperitivo trend, and this is only going to continue as consumers move towards lower alcohol cocktails. Solerno brand ambassador Evonne Eadie explains “Australia is moving towards quality over quantity when consuming alcohol. We are wanting to enjoy the positives drinking has to offer – great tastes and great company – without the need to get really boozy.” She says “The aperitivo movement offers an ideal way to do this.”
The art of aperitivo began in Turin in Northern Italy with the creation of Vermouth in the late 1700’s, and was quickly welcomed as a daily ritual throughout Italy. In recent decades we have seen this enjoyable movement spread throughout the world, being readily adopted into Australia.
The word aperitivo – from the Latin word “aperire” meaning “to open”- describes an alcoholic drink that is consumed before dinner to “open the stomach” and stimulate the appetite. In recent times it has evolved to describe not only the pre-dinner drink itself, but also the occasion. The enjoyment of taking time to savour the moment, unwinding after a day’s work with beautiful tastes, and beautiful company.
Classic aperitivi include Negronis, Americanos and Spritzes, and all have the common theme of a sweet element, and a bitter element, to get your appetite going. Provided you adhere to these general rules you can create any number of delicious drinks. A relatively new player to the aperitivo scene is Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur. “It is a beautiful product to use when creating aperitivi because it offers an incredibly bold flavour, unique to blood oranges.” says Eadie. “Our Solerno Serata combines the sweetness of Solerno, with the bitterness of ruby grapefruit juice creating an exceptionally refreshing aperitivo. If you should fancy something to nibble at the same time, I would highly recommend drizzling Proscuitto with rosemary infused olive oil.” she continues.
Solerno was created by Lesley Gracie – Master Distiller of Hendricks Gin – and is made with the finest hand-picked Sanguinello blood oranges from the island of Sicily. It boasts an intense, zesty flavour, with a warm lingering finish. If you would like to try Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur, please contact your William Grant & Sons representative.
Solerno Serata
45ml Solerno Blood Orange (40% ABV)
30ml Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice
60ml Soda Water
2 dashes of bitters
Combine all ingredients in a stemless glass, stir well, and garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary.