Cocchi Americano
The complexity of this product is the first thing that surprises you. On the nose you initially detect notes of orange zest, orange flower and elderflower before more mature aromas of baked apple and pear drops emerge. Your palate will immediately appreciate the bitter/sweet balance as more bitter notes mingle with honey and citrus flavours, mainly orange and lemon zest. More wine-like characteristics become evident as the flavours develop into a long, vibrant finish, with the bitter and sweet notes remaining fresh until the end.

Serve chilled with ice, a twist of orange peel and a splash of soda.

75cl, ABV 16.5%

Cocchi Vermouth Di Torino
This is a very pungent liquid. On the nose you immediately find aromas of liquorice, singed orange peel, vanilla and caramel. Over time, faint menthol notes develop into aromas reminiscent of dandelion and burdock. This vermouth is very full flavoured, the palate immediately detecting a bitter, earthy character which is very well balanced against the sweeter notes of liquorice, orange zest and muscovado sugar. A very bold, long finish, with the bitter/sweet balance staying with you to the end.

Traditionally drunk on its own or over ice, this vermouth will also add another dimension when used as an ingredient in your classic cocktails.

75cl, ABV 16%

Cocchi Barolo Chinato

Again, the first thing you notice is the complexity, your nose picking up bitter and honeyed characteristics at the same time. Roasted orange peel, cloves, cherries, eucalyptus and dried figs are all present. These flavours evolve on the palate into a battle of bitter versus sweet characters that coat your tongue; rhubarb, date, sultana, cloves, Five Spice and orange bitters are all present to give a lovely warm mouthfeel. An incredibly long, intense finish that is both dry and sweet and will leave your mouth watering for more.

50cl, ABV 16%

Giulio Cocchi founded his business in the North Western Italian town of Asti in 1891 when as a young pastry chef he became fascinated with the pairing of food and wine as he looked to expand the range of products on offer in his artisan bakery.

Giulio began producing quality aromatic-infused wines and by the turn of the century two in particular - Barolo Chinato and Aperitivo Americano - had become very popular, not only throughout Piedmont but also in the export markets of London, New York, Africa and South America.

Giulio Cocchi Spumanti is now owned by the Bava Family, themselves highly renowned wine producers. Today the winery still maintains its artisan character using only traditional techniques to craft the distinctive spirits that have made the Cocchi name synonymous with style and quality.

Cocchi's Americano means much more to Asti than a simple wine made with the infusion of herbs and spices. An aperitif par excellence, it is a taste of Asti's gastronomic history going back to the 1900s. Cocchi's is widely regarded as the original Americano, and has been made continuously since 1891 using only natural ingredients. To aromatise the white wine a secret blend of herbs and spices are added to the Muscato base which is then steeped over a period of time. Only produced in small batches, the bottles are laid down for a year before release. In recent years Cocchi Americano has risen to prominence as a more than adequate replacement for the now discontinued Kina Lillet made famous in such cocktails as The Vesper and Corpse Reviver No 2.

To mark the 120th anniversary of when Giulio Cocchi first made vermouth the production of Cocchi's original recipe Vermouth di Torino was resumed in 2011. Unmistakably Cocchi in character, Vermouth di Torino is one of only two geographically protected AOC vermouths (the other being Chambery). This Storico Vermouth di Torino follows the regional tradition of using fine Moscato wine as its base, which is then infused with a secret recipe of local and exotic botanicals. Once produced, the vermouth is stored in barrel to ensure the blend is fully married.

Barolo Chinato is a fortified wine which was traditionally drunk for medicinal purposes to guard against fevers and stomach upsets, but also gifted as a sign of hospitality. Today it is more commonly used as a digestif and is a wonderful way to round off a meal, as well as being unbeatable with chocolate. Cocchi's Barolo Chinato still follows the traditional recipe: Barolo DOCG wine is infused with the bark of the Calissaja Quinine tree, red china, rhubarb root, gentian and cardamom seeds as well as a secret blend of herbs and spices before being laid down for lengthy maturation in old Barolo casks.