Galliano liqueur - all about the legendary Italian alcohol
Galliano - one of the most famous Italian liqueurs, the recipe of which was invented in 1896 by the Italian master of distillation Arthur Vacari. Named in honor of Giuseppe Galliano, a hero of the first Italian-Ethiopian war. The strength of the drink is 30%.
This exquisite anise-vanilla liqueur is considered one of the best cocktail and digestive drinks of our time. Its golden color is pleasing to the eye, reminiscent of sunlight shining through piles of amber, sparkling in the sun; and the elegant elongated bottles, imitating the shape of ancient Roman columns, clearly hint at the historical homeland of the drink.
The history of Galliano liqueur
The liqueur appeared in 1896, immediately after the end of the First Italo-Ethiopian War (1895 - 1896). This shameful colonial war brought Italy neither new overseas possessions nor even a reason for national pride.
The Ethiopian army, armed mainly with spears and flintlocks, defeated the descendants of the ancient Romans in the tail and in the mane.
The only relatively bright spot against the background of this total disgrace was the feat of the hereditary Italian military, Major Giuseppe Gagliano, whose 1,500 garrison, left to its own devices in the Mekele fort, resisted the besieging Ethiopian army of almost a hundred thousand for a month and a half and eventually ended the struggle on honorable terms...
In honor of the soon-to-be deceased brave officer, a distiller from Livorno, Tuscany, Arturo Vaccari, decided to name his own rather difficult-to-make alpine-type liqueur.
The drink is based on the principle of medieval medicinal herbal elixirs, which are prepared by repeated extractions and distillations of the raw materials.
At the moment, the brand is owned by a Dutch company Lucas Bols. By the way, the Dutch distillers honored the memory of Vaccari himself by naming the brand after him quite well not a bad sambuca, launched in 1990.
Ingredients and taste of Galliano
The recipe for the basic thirty-degree drink, which is now called Galliano Vanilla, includes more than 30 herbal ingredients, which, as you can imagine, cannot be replaced by anything.
Among them: Mediterranean and star anise, musky yarrow, ginger, juniper berries, peppermint, lavender, cinnamon, sugar and, of course, vanilla.
The list of ingredients, as well as the liqueur production process, a number of stages of which are carried out manually, is, of course, kept secret.
The result is the same classic Galliano - a liqueur whose taste is determined by the presence of the leitmotif of vanilla and anise, which is harmoniously combined with a spicy herbal background and faint hints of citrus.
The rich aromatic bouquet of the drink, which contains hints of creamy toffee, peach, cinnamon, nutmeg, coffee and chocolate, deserves special mention.
There are also several modifications of the famous liqueur:
Galliano L'Autentico
The same original Galliano liqueur that made the brand world famous. It has a golden color with a light green tint.
Exclusive recipe from Mediterranean exotic herbs and plants.
The taste is reminiscent of a medieval elixir of herbs, plants, roots, spices and flower seeds.
The ingredients of this drink are classified, but we can say for sure that it contains: anise, juniper fruit, musk, lavender, peppermint, cinnamon and vanilla.
Galliano Vanilla
The same classic Galliano recipe with more than 30 herbs and spices, but with a more delicate vanilla aroma and flavor.
Galliano L'Aperitivo
A well-balanced bitters with fresh Mediterranean notes of oranges, bergamot, bitter oranges, cinnotto, tangerines and grapefruits.
Galliano Amaretto
Perfect balance of almonds and cherries, roasted cocoa beans and a hint of vanilla bourbon.
Galliano Ristretto
A powerful liqueur with the taste of ristretto coffee, which is so adored by Italians.
Update: 02.12.2016
Category: Liqueurs and Tinctures