The relationship between the Italian regions of Liguria and Tuscany goes beyond geographical proximity, tumultuous history and artistic harmony. Another factor that these splendid territories have in common is the use of botanical herbs over the centuries and up to today. To pay homage to this sustainable and healthy tradition on Earth Day, Venus Bar in Portovenere has created an original cocktail with a versatile but balanced infusion of organic botanical products from Liguria and Tuscany.
The botanical cocktail is called Between Liguria & Tuscany, just like the Grand Hotel Portovenere’s project promoting a constructive dialogue between the artists of these regions and inviting travelers to discover all the nuances of these territories, for example, through quarry tours and the scents of marble.
The botanical herbs from Between Liguria & Tuscany
When creating the cocktail, the Venus Bar mixologists made a local selection of botanical herbs between Liguria and Tuscany, paying attention to sustainability.
Let’s start with Cinque Terre, the renowned villages near Portovenere. This is where Cinque Terre Gin comes from. In addition to high-quality organic juniper, it includes marjoram from Riomaggiore, sage from Manarola, basil from Corniglia, rosemary from Vernazza and lemon from Monterosso. All five botanicals are organic, a choice made to respect biodiversity and create a product that is genuine and respectful of nature.
We then move on to the historical area of Lunigiana, where the Rabarbaro Liquore Farmacia Zampetti still uses the recipe of Dr. Ernesto Zampetti, founder of the homonymous pharmacy in the early 1900s. This rhubarb liqueur is produced in Potremoli, the northernmost municipality of Tuscany, on the border with Liguria and Emilia Romagna.
Next, we arrive in Fivizzano (province of Massa Carrara in Tuscany), where the digestive tonic liqueur China Clementi enhances the raw and curative materials in the Between Liguria & Tuscany cocktail. The expert botanist Dr. Giuseppe Clementi created the recipe for this liqueur in 1884, featuring two precious varieties of tropical cinchona and bitter Mediterranean oranges.
The Between Liguria & Tuscany recipe also includes two homemade elements prepared by the Venus Bar mixologists in Portovenere:
- Cardamom Cordial is a decoction of cardamom and bay leaves in boiling water, adding sugar and citric acid. This tisane helps give the cocktail an aromatic note and enhances the rhubarb.
- Grapefruit soda is essential to make this cocktail not only aimed at lovers of herbaceous flavors but also for those looking for a balanced cocktail at any time of the day.
Recipe and preparation
- Cinque Terre Gin 45 ml
- China Clementi 15 ml
- Rabarbaro Farmacia Zampetti 5 ml
- Cardamom and Bay Leaves Cordial 15 ml
- Grapefruit Soda
Carefully combine all the chosen ingredients using the Shake and Strain mixing technique.
Recommended glass: tall tumbler.
