Three Italian Spirit Brands Join Campari America Portfolio

07 Jan 2015 --- Campari America, a wholly owned subsidiary of Davide Campari-Milano S.p.A. (Reuters CPRI.MI – Bloomberg CPR IM), the world’s sixth largest spirits company, officially announced the addition of Averna, Braulio and Cinzano 1757 to its lineup, solidifying the company’s position as the most comprehensive portfolio of Italian spirit brands in the United States. In the summer of 2014, Gruppo Campari purchased Averna and Braulio, while at the same time Cinzano 1757 was added as a new product to the iconic Cinzano family.

“With Averna, Braulio, and Cinzano 1757 joining the US portfolio, Campari America continues to enrich its premium offerings in this core market and secure its position as the leading purveyor of premium Italian liqueur and bitter specialties ,” said Umberto Luchini, Head of Marketing, Campari America. “Our other Italian brands—Campari, Aperol, Cynar and Frangelico—have rapidly gained popularity in this market, driven by high bartender and consumer interest. We expect Averna, Braulio, and Cinzano 1757 to follow in those footsteps as American palates continue to crave bitter flavors. As a whole, Campari America’s Italian portfolio will help convey to the American audience the joys of the Italian way of life – where time spent together is time well spent.”

Averna is one of Italy’s most celebrated spirits. Originated from an herbal elixir prepared by friars of the Convent of St. Spirito’s Abbey and donated to Salvatore Averna as sign of gratitude for being a benefactor, its first production started in Calatanisetta, Sicily, in 1868. Averna has a gentle herbal bitterness and sweet characteristics. The recipe, passed down from one generation to another, has remained unchanged since its inception. Various herbs, roots and citrus rinds soaked in a base liquor give the spirit its bitter flavors. The production process lasts three months.

The resultant espresso-colored liquid offers intense aromas of exotic spice, wood, maple syrup, cinnamon and dried orange peel. The mouth feel is velvety, creamy and dense. Averna, traditionally enjoyed as a digestivo, can be sipped neat or on the rocks with a slice of lemon. It can also be mixed into cocktails to enhance any drink with complex, sophisticated flavors.

Averna is 58 proof (29% ABV) and is available in 750ml and 1L bottles. The 750 ml bottle retails for $29.99 MSRP. Averna is available nationally.

Braulio, another legendary herb-based bitter liqueur, originated in Bormio, Valtellina in 1875. It was developed by Francesco Peloni, an Italian chemist with a deep knowledge of medicinal herbs. The bitter liqueur is based on an ancient recipe using, among other herbs, aromatic alpine herbs popular in Northern Italy. These herbs, along with plants and roots, are infused into a liquid that undergoes a two-year aging process in oak barrels – a unique process in the amaro category.

Braulio is 42 proof (21% ABV) and is available in 750ml and 1L bottles. The 750 ml bottle retails for $34.99 MSRP. Braulio will be initially available in New York, California and Illinois.

Cinzano 1757 is a premium small batch vermouth that pays homage to Cinzano’s founding fathers, Giovanni Giacomo Cinzano and Carlo Stefano Cinzano, who started their business in Turin in 1757. Inspired by more than 250 years of vermouth experience, Cinzano 1757 begins with the traditional secret Cinzano Rosso recipe and is enriched with an infusion of specially-selected herbs. Given the small batch nature of the artisanal vermouth, each bottle is individually numbered.

The intensely rich liquid is slightly spicy with notes of dried fruit, wood, tobacco and licorice. Round and smooth to the palate, the finish offers pleasant bitter notes typical of Artemisia (a bushy, perennial shrub), with a long-lasting and pleasant aftertaste. Serve Cinzano 1757 neat, on the rocks, or enrich and enhance the most famous classic vermouth rosso-based cocktails such as the Negroni and the Americano.

Cinzano 1757, which is 32 proof (16% ABV), is available in a 1L bottle only and retails for $29.99 MSRP. Cinzano 1757 is available nationally.

Please enjoy Averna, Braulio and Cinzano 1757 responsibly.