La tradizione liquoristica torinese rivive con Doragrossa

A tribute to Turin and its glorious past as the capital of the liquor industry, when Turin's mastery in blending herbs and spices and in "conducting the alembic" was renowned throughout Europe: it is a plunge into the past, the one proposed by Doragrossa - a Turin-based company distributed by Proposta Spirits - to rediscover flavours that were thought lost.

Bringing back ancient recipes, the expression of a territory extremely rich in tradition and excellent raw materials, is the mission that guides Doragrossa (whose name recalls the district that has been the centre of Turin's liqueur activity since 1573) in its continuous research activity to recreate the organoleptic peculiarities of the liqueurs of yesteryear.

By combining the knowledge and creativity of Turin's master distillers with local botanicals, processed through strictly artisanal and genuine processes, Doragrossa composes harmonies of flavours and fragrances that are nothing less than rich experiences for the senses. Doragrossa's signature labels are the result of passionate research into the history of liqueur-making to create artisanal products that are the fruit of a magical alchemy of ingredients, recipes and traditions rooted in the Piedmont region.

Thus the Doragrossa Torino collection of liqueurs, rosolios and vermouths is a tribute to the liquor art of Italy's first capital city. Standing out in this line is Amaro di Torino (retail price €30) with its bitter tones of rhubarb and gentian combined with fresh, balsamic notes of juniper and tanaceto. Sweet and warm notes of cocoa, liquorice and natural vanilla complete its elegant, persistent and unique aromatic profile. Fine and elegant and moderately bitter, it captivates with its freshness and savouriness: perfect enjoyed on its own at the end of a meal but also as a blending ingredient.

The lively trade associated with the life of the Savoy court since the 17th century helped to supplement the already rich local botanical offer with precious ingredients such as the refined exotic spices that flowed into Turin thanks to the nearby port of Genoa. And it is precisely this rich and varied range of spices and aromas that is the protagonist of the Doragrossa Mediterranea collection of spirits dedicated to Mediterranean essences and fruits such as bergamot, coffee, rhubarb and chinotto.

The excellence of this line is the Gin Mediterraneo al Bergamotto (retail price €43) carefully crafted by combining juniper berries, bergamot, bitter orange, chamomile, rosemary and Pimpinella green anise. A mix of botanicals that also intoxicate the nose, with a gentle and persistent bouquet in which notes of juniper, rosemary, bergamot and orange blossom stand out, while in the mouth the balsamic notes of juniper berries marry those of rosemary and Pimpinella green aniseed in a harmonious combination enhanced by the intense and elegant scents of the essential oils of bergamot peel and the slightly bitter notes of bitter orange and chamomile. An excellent end-of-meal digestive to be savoured cold.