In our previous article, we explored the history and classification of vermouth. But the “aperitif wine” category isn’t all about vermouth. We also have Americano, Quinquina, and Bitter Vino. And then there are the real oddities – like Alla’uovo, a fortified Marsala wine enriched with egg yolk. These rare birds rarely fly beyond their homeland, and given today’s realities, they’re even harder to get your hands on.
So, let’s break it down.
Quinquina
We’ll start with the most famous subcategory – Quinquina (pronounced keen-KEE-na), which owes much of its pop-culture fame to James Bond.
Strangely enough, we have the 1830s, French soldiers, and malaria to thank for it. The search for a cure led to the bark of the Peruvian cinchona tree – nature’s source of quinine, the compound that saved countless lives.
And, in true 19th-century fashion, if something had even the slightest medicinal benefit, it was added to wine or spirits. Maybe to preserve its properties, maybe just to make it drinkable – because that bark is bitter. Really bitter.
The first drink in this category was Dubonnet, first produced in France in 1846. In Dubonnet, quinine played the supporting role for bitterness, while cinnamon, green coffee beans, chamomile, and orange peel carried the aroma and flavour. Thanks to colonial trade, Quinquina soon spread beyond France.
Next came Kina Lillet, the bottle that James Bond used in his Vesper Martini. Today, it’s simply Lillet Blanc, because in 1986 the quinine content was reduced and the product was renamed. Its base is Bordeaux wines fortified with fruit and berry liqueurs.
After that, came Bonal, Byrrh, and others – traditionally served over ice with an orange slice, or diluted slightly with water. They gradually made their way into cocktails like the Opera Cocktail, but most people still enjoyed them neat as classic aperitifs.
Definition: Quinquina is an aperitif wine – a wine fortified with spirits and aromatised with botanicals, one of which must be quinine. It originated in France, but is now produced worldwide.
Americano
The second category most likely appeared as Italy’s answer to French Quinquina – the Italians simply couldn’t leave the French with the only bitter aperitif on the market.
The name Americano actually comes from amaricante – “bitter” in Italian. Many believe it was simply a vermouth with a more pronounced bitterness. The fact that its history is hard to trace (and it’s almost always mentioned alongside Quinquina) supports this theory.
So, what makes Americano distinct? Regulations for aperitif wines define it as a fortified wine flavoured with wormwood and gentian root, and coloured either yellow or red. That makes it something between classic vermouth and Bitter Vino (fortified wine with gentian root).
Unfortunately, there’s very little practical information available on Americano and Bitter Vino – even after combing through Italian sources.
The world of aperitifs is vast and full of flavours waiting to be discovered. Next time you feel like exploring, remember – there’s a style out there for everyone.
In the next part, we’ll talk about Amaro.
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Stay boozy, stay nerds
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