Mancino Vermouth – Rosso Amaranto

TASTING NOTES FROM THE CURATOR

Made with an infusion of 38 different botanicals, from herbs, to roots, to peels, it is a ruddy amaranth red with flashes of caramel when held up to the light. Its aromas are savory, mesquite and dried oregano mixed with a touch of blackberry and a tiny saline hit. This fortified wine is beautifully sweet and has a balanced taste—chock full of Christmas spices like cinnamon and dried orange and clove, plus juniper, vanilla, and toasted wood—finished with the signature amaro smoke and bitterness.

PREPARATION OR PAIRINGS

This sweet vermouth is perfect in two well-known classic cocktails: the vintage Negroni and the indomitable Manhattan. For a Negroni, mix in a near-even 25ml of gin and Campari bitters each, about 50ml of this vermouth, and stir it up with a dash or two of orange and grapefruit bitters. Strain over ice in a rock glass, add a twist of orange, and enjoy. To make a Manhattan, we recommend rye whiskey—70ml or so, to taste—with about 40ml of vermouth. Stir in a dash or two of Angostura bitters and ice, then strain into a chilled coupe. It’s the perfect gentleman’s drink, and one that will put even the ladies in a New York state of mind.

TI AMO, AMARO

The unmistakable amari liquors of Italy, princes among bittersweet digestifs, are difficult to classify. They follow the typical construction for bitters: an alcohol base, a flavoring as a topper, with the bittering element sandwiched in between. As many as sixty differing botanicals go into flavoring an amaro—but it’s the notable use of wormwood that gave Giancarlo Mancino the inspiration to use this liqueur as inspiration for his Rosso Amaro Vermouth.

Store your unopened bottle of vermouth in a dark, cool pantry, ideally between 15 to 18°C. Unopened bottles can last up to 4 years. Once the bottle has been opened, you can store it in the fridge with its original stopper. Cold slows down oxidation reactions, keeping your bottle as fresh as possible for up to one month.