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An unexpected return to fame for some drinks that now seemed to be archived only in childhood memories. With the arrival of the summer and the growing interest, even among the youngest, in mixed drinking, with a real boom in recent years in Italy for gin and tonic, the tonica has its golden moment. Not by chance, on the occasion of the recent G7 held in Puglia in meetings in which the protocol did not include the consumption of alcohol Lunelli Group paid homage to the Heads of State with a selection of labels including the Cedrata and Tassoni Tonic.
To these drinks, recently produced in the Salò plant Posteitaliane dedicated the issue of a stamp from the thematic series “The Excellences of the productive and economic system” dedicated to Cedral Tassoni Spa on the 230th anniversary of its foundation. And again to celebrate Tassoni’s 230th anniversary, the Lunelli family presented the Bitter del Lago on the occasion of the Roma Bar Show, an international event dedicated to the beverage and mixing industry. “A tribute to the strong bond with the Lake area of Garda” he underlines Camilla Lunellispecifying that the ruby red production comes from a recipe of the ancient Tassoni spice shop and is based on the careful combination of selected bitter botanicals with the infusion of Calabrian cedar, a fruit to which the company is strongly linked. Among the ingredients selected by the master herbalist, the colombo stands out, a root from South Africa, with an intense yellow color capable of giving a particular spiciness to the bitter note; dried rhubarb and mace, a highly prized nutmeg flower, as well as vanilla berries and cinnamon. Also in this case the bottle is presented in a “citrus peel” that identifies the entire range and, with its 25 degrees, creates, together with the Cedrata Tassoni, the aperitif Bitter Tass. “The new Tassoni era aims at an ever-increasing refinement both in taste and packaging, with particular attention to the mixology sector.” underlines Simone Masè, CEO Tassoni and general manager of the Lunelli Group.
Meanwhile, in Rome, the debut of distilled essences in society, on the terrace of the W Rome Hotel “London Essence”an English brand born to produce fine essences for perfumers. The company founded in 1896 presents a collection – distributed by Molinari – of tonic water, soda, ginger drinks and artisanal lemonade, low in sugar and calories thanks to the pure use of natural botanicals selected from all over the world, to enhance the taste and sensory experience of cocktails by valorizing an authoritative tradition in infusion and distillation as well as territories suited, from Angers to Grasse for example, for the blooms and production of ancient fruits and spices, from pomelo to pink pepper, from the anise and fennel base distilled to jasmine and white peach to mix with vodka and full-bodied spirits such as bourbon and cognac.
Another historic company is the Stock Spirits Italia which celebrates 140 years of activity with a positioning among the leaders in the liqueur sector in Central-Eastern Europe. A long history that began in Trieste in 1884, iconized by “Bitterissimo Stock”the new bitter celebrating the 140th anniversary to be enjoyed with ice and a slice of orange, or diluted with soda, tonic or sparkling white wine, is the definitive ingredient, from classic Negroni to vintage cocktails such as the “9 hole”. Owned by CVC Capital Partners since November 2021, today the Group has 1,800 employees, operates in 9 European countries (Italy, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, France, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia), of which five host eight production sites, and boasts a diverse portfolio of over 70 quality brands, exported to more than 50 countries around the world, including the United States and Canada.
