Aperol Aperitivo (Fratelli Barbieri)

We Say...

alc./vol. (22° proof)
11%

Bin no
BWS000070

Vintage
Non-vintage

Aged
Unaged

Closure
Screw / Stelvin cap

Categories
Botanical (herb/spice)
Bitter Liqueurs

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An orange/red coloured Italian aperitif, created in 1919, and made of an infusion of rhubarb, cinchona (the tree from which quinine comes), gentian and several other herbs.

The Barbieri Company was established in 1891 by Giuseppe Barbieri in Padua, Italy to produce and market a wide range of liqueurs. The company’s most famous and enduring product, Aperol, was especially created in 1919 by his two sons, Luigi and Silvio for Padua International Fair, a large exhibition attracting international visitors held in the their home. Silvio Barbieri named Aperol after the French word for aperitif, ‘apéro’, which he had learnt on a recent trip to France and seemed appropriate for their new bitter-sweet liqueur.

This spirit based aperitif’s unique flavour and orange/red colour comes from a secret infusion of 16 ingredients, including bitter orange essence, gentian, cinchona bark (quinine), Chinese rhubarb. The majority of herbs and roots used come from the Piedmont region of Northern Italy and the recipe remains unchanged since it was first created in 1919. Aperol does not undergo any aging process and is ready to be bottled immediately after blending.

The concept of making an aperitif with an alcohol content of only 11% was revolutionary, and perhaps a little before its time, as it did not take off and became a major success until after the second world war.

In 1991 the Barbieri Company was acquired by Ireland’s C&C International but their tenure was short lived and in 2003 Gruppo Campari purchased Barbero and with it Aperol. Gruppo Campari have continued to build Aperol and today it is enjoyed by over 3.4 million Italians and is commonly available across Europe and North America. In 2011, Gruppo Campari repackaged Aperol and stepped up international marking of the popular Aperol Spritz drink.

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Tasting notes

Sampled on 24/11/2012

Appearance:	Clear, crimson red.
Aroma:	Pink grapefruit and orange zest with strawberry jelly aromas.
Taste:	Hardly bitter at all, more like a zesty orange cordial rather than bark bitter. Notes of zesty orange marmalade and pink grapefruit.
Aftertaste:	Short finish, but few other 11 per cent liqueurs will taste as good.

Produced By...

Name
Barbero 1981 S.p.A.

Status
Operational

Established
Not supplied

Capacity
Not supplied

Visitor Policy
Not generally accessible

Telephone
Not supplied

Address
Canale D'Alba
Italy

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Owned By...

Name:	Davide Campari-Milano S.p.A. (Gruppo Campari)
Tel:	+39 02 62 251
Address:	Via Franco Sacchetti 20 Sesto San Giovanni 20099 Italy

Odd Firm Of Sin

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