Italy’s most notable claim in the beverage world is undoubtably wine. However, Italy also has a very rich history regarding cider beginning in ancient times and progressing when the craft was fine tuned by monks during the middle ages. There was a standstill of cider production during Mussolini’s reign because cider was considered strange and he wanted to eliminate competition for the wine economy to prosper. Areas such as Trentino and Alto Adige have always utilized their abundance of apples by making cider, or “sidro” as it is called in Italian, which took on a renewed interest globally in the past 20 years, bringing forth a new generation of cider makers and cider varieties. Baladin, Maley and Angioletti are a few of the most well-known ciders made exclusively from Italian apples and produced in Italy.
Now that you know a bit about cider’s Italian roots, let’s use it to make a delicious fall drink you can enjoy alone or serve as a party favorite. This can be served warm on a chilly fall evening or on the rocks.
- 2 ounces Italian Apple Cider – Any of the brands mentioned will do
- 2 ounces Caramel Apple Vodka
- 2 ounces Carpano Antica sweet vermouth
- dash of orange bitters (optional)
- fresh apple for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
Cold: combine all ingredients over ice in a wineglass, add bitters and fresh apple if desired.
Hot: Heat cider to preferred temperature, pour in mug and add caramel vodka and vermouth, stirring well. Add bitters and fresh apple if desired.
- Cider comes to Abruzzo [italychronicles.com]
- Cover Photo [Getty Images]
