Ve.N.To
Ve.n.to is an unusual cocktail rich in honey and calming chamomile that is straight from Italy with an intriguing story. "Vento" means "wind" in Italian, symbolising an invisible force that connects different lands. The two dots in the name represent the two Italian regions where grappa, the cocktail's key ingredient, comes from - "Ve" for Venice and "To" for Trentino. Grappa is a distinctive Italian spirit typically enjoyed as an after-meal digestif. Made from the pomace of wine grapes, this strong, grape-based brandy has a bold flavour profile. The Ve.n.to artfully combines smooth grappa with other Italian ingredients like prosecco and Aperol to create a refreshing, well-balanced cocktail.
The Ve.n.to cocktail is the first grappa-based drink on the IBA list, which is exciting for Italian grappa lovers. The other two unique ingredients—chamomile liqueur and honey syrup with chamomile make this drink even more peculiar. These can be hard to source, so making your own honey syrup by combining equal parts chamomile tea and honey is recommended.
Though one of the newer cocktails to be born out of the Grappa revolution, 1973-2003, and making it to the IBA, the Ve.n.to cocktail has an intriguing backstory. Created by Italian mixologists Samuele Ambrosi and Leonardo Varesi, it pays homage to grappa and Italy. The cocktail artfully blends grappa with chamomile liqueur and honey syrup, modernizing the old Italian tradition of enhancing grappa with local herbs.
The name Ve.n.to cleverly represents the grappa regions of Veneto and Trentino. Ve stands for Venezia (Venice), located in Veneto. The extra dots highlight grappa's origins. N.to unites the cocktail's two grappa regions - the n for Veneto and to for Trentino Alto Adige. Vento means "wind" in Italian - an invisible force uniting lands. This alludes to how the cocktail combines ingredients and grappa regions. The Ve.n.to celebrates Italian spirits and ingenuity through its blend of heritage and innovation. Every aspect of the drink connects back to grappa and the history of Italian cocktails.
Bartenders say that there is a little confusion when it comes to the chamomile cordial mentioned by the IBA—one of the creators of the cocktail mentions this to be exact. Cordial is very different from liqueur, and the recipe that was created by Samuele Ambrosi (and Leondardo Varesi), calls for liqueur and that it's not cordial. Cordials are weaker, ABV of 15-20 percent, and less sugary than their counterpart liqueurs with an ABV of 20-40 percent which are much smoother. The IBA also got this wrong as if we go by the inventor’s words. The confusion stems from the original Italian name "Cordiale alla camomilla" which resembles "cordial" in English. However, we will go by the IBA version, you may substitute the cordial with liqueur.
Ingredients
Method
Add grappa, lemon juice, chamomile honey mix, chamomile liqueur, and egg white to a cocktail shaker, no ice.
Dry shake vigorously for 10-15 seconds to emulsify the egg white.
Now, open the shaker, and fill it with ice and shake again until chilled and frothy.
Fine strain the cocktail into a chilled coupe or Old Fashioned glass over fresh ice to remove any ice shards or egg white bits.
Garnish with a trio of speared white grapes and an expressed lemon peel.
