Barolo Chinato - The Bartender's Bacon

Not long ago a bartender friend of mine approached me with a cocktail recipe he had come across. One of the ingredients was a wine that he was unfamiliar with and wanted to know if I knew what it was. The wine was Barolo Chinato.

Barolo Chinato is a digestive wine from the Piedmont region of Italy typically served after dinner. It is made by steeping the bark of the cinchona tree (quinine) in aged Barolo. Each producer then flavors the wine with his own blend of herbs such as cinnamon, mint, vanilla, coriander even iris flowers. To say that it is an acquired taste is a bit of an understatement. If you’ve ever had the Italian soda pop Chinotto, then you’ve got an idea as to the flavor of this wine.

I had never thought of using it as a cocktail ingredient but once presented with the idea I could see the potential. The difficulty however, is finding the wine outside of Italy.

Over the holidays I ended up with a less than ideal bottle of Prosecco. Not wanting it to go to waste, I added a splash of Barolo Chinato. That mediocre wine was made drinkable and an Italian version of the Champagne cocktail was born.

I was so thrilled with my discovery I immediately messaged my bartender friend. His reply……...It’s like Bartender’s Bacon. Goes with everything.