Italicus rosolio is bergamot-citrus liqueur from Piedmont.
Why you are pouring this tonight
Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto is the only spritz ingredient that has ever made an Italian friend of mine close his eyes when he tasted it, the way someone closes their eyes during a really good chord change in a song they have not heard in years. Bergamot, cedrat, lavender, gentian. It looks like olive oil in the bottle and tastes like the bergamot bit of an Earl Grey if Earl Grey were planning a heist.
The garnish is the part most home cooks get wrong. Three pitted green olives on a pick. A fresh basil leaf. Skip the orange peel. The bergamot in the Italicus already brings the citrus and an orange peel just confuses the drink. Use the driest prosecco. Build over ice in a wine glass. Serve with prosciutto, focaccia from the Italian deli on the corner, and the kind of conversation that gets quieter rather than louder as the evening goes on.
What to pour it alongside
Antipasto, focaccia, prosciutto and melon.
Notes
The savoury garnish (olives + basil) is the proper Italian way and balances the floral citrus. Skip the orange peel here.
The recipe
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