Time to remix your drinks list? This blend of the old and the daringly fresh is just the thing.
The first Contratto Vermouth recipes date back to the late 1800s and had their heyday as top tipples of the flappers and dandies of the ‘20s and ‘30s. They fell out of favour after World War II and this great Piedmontese house ceased production entirely in the late 20th century.
When the Rivetti family of La Spinetta bought the house in 2011, they saw a place for these amid the renascimento of cocktail culture. They revived old traditions to suit modern demand, starting with the Vermouths. The Bianco, Rosso and Americano – based on Piedmont’s indigenous Cortese grape infused with 30 to 50 organic premium natural herbs, spices, roots and seeds and then fortified with Italian brandy – have well and truly established a foothold in the contemporary mixing tradition.
Along with the century-old Vermouth recipes, the Rivettis inherited the key to these two fantastic mixers. Both the Aperitif and Bitter are made from 100% natural ingredients and based on the original recipes – the rebirth of a delicious tradition.
CONTRATTO APERITIF RRP $47
Born way back in 1935, Aperitif is Contratto’s all-natural answer to Aperol. It’s made from 100% natural flavours and colours. The recipe uses a traditional process of slow, cold maceration to create a complex and balanced aperitif based on a combination of Italian brandy and 28 delicately infused natural herbs, spices roots and seeds. These include: aloe, angelica, wormwood, safflower, cinchona, bitter orange, sweet orange, lemon and tangerine peel, hawthorn, cascarilla, cloves, cardamom, liquorice, juniper berries, mint, rhubarb, sage, nettle, ginger and many more besides. It has 13.5% alcohol.
CONTRATTO BITTER RRP $47
Born in 1933, Bitter is Contratto’s all-natural answer to Campari. It’s made from 100% natural flavours and colours. The recipe uses a traditional process of slow, cold maceration to create a complex and balanced aperitif based on a combination of Italian brandy and 24 delicately infused natural herbs, spices roots and seeds. These include: aloe, wormwood, bitter and sweet orange peel, cloves, cardamom, gentian, hibiscus, enula bell, juniper berries, mint, rhubarb, sage, swertia, nettle, ginger and many more besides. It has 22% alcohol.