Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto 20%

Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto is an Italian liqueur. It was launched in September 2016 by Guiseppe Gallo, who is one of the UK’s leading authority in Italian spirits. It is produced from an authentic recipe from the 1800s. It is made at the Torino Distillati in Moncalieri (who you might know as the producers of Malfy Gin). The distillery was established in 1906 by Fratelli Ferrero di Riccardo, it was then owned by Seagram from the 1960s until it was bought by Carlo Vergnano, then Technical and Operations Director at Seagram Italia, in 1992. Today the distillery is family run by Carlo Vergnano, his wife Piera, and daughter Rita.

Rosolio is an old-fashioned type of Italian liqueur which was traditionally made from rose petals with alcohol, sugar and water. It was a common liqueur in Piedmont and Southern Italy, including Sicily, and some say it is an early forerunner of various types of Vermouths. It was very popular in the 19th Century and each of Italy’s regions had their own distinctive variations. Italicus is based on Bergamot.

Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto is made using Bergamot from a UNESCO-protected area in the Calabrian region and cedar from Sicilia. These are infused in cold water to release their essential oils, in a time honoured process called Sfumatura, before being blended with Italian neutral grain spirit. Separately a delicate combination of Roman chamomile from Lazio, lavender, gentian, yellow roses and melissa balm from Northern Italy are then macerated together for several days before being married with the bergamot and cedar essential oils to create the final liquid.