L’Aperitivo Nonino is Girl Power in a Bottle

The distillery’s 2019 release, L’Aperitivo Nonino BotanicalDrink, highlights the prowess of Nonino’s third-generation female distiller, Silvia Milocco Nonino.

She set the tone for every bottle to be a force of nature, with three generations of Nonino women now running the show.

“Silvia, left a widow during the second World War, took over our distillery, and became the first female master distiller in Italy,” says Francesca Nonino, the sixth generation representing Nonino.

With her contagious energy, Francesca takes the lead on grappa, amaro, and aperitif education with her dominating social media presence and robust knowledge of Italian spirits, carrying on her family distillery’s impressive legacy.

“Silvia approached the world of liqueurs with the same philosophy she used in the kitchen: using few ingredients, but of top quality.”

This mantra birthed an exciting new aperitivo, L’Aperitivo Nonino Botanical Drink. “The drink’s story is a testament to “girl power,” adds Nonino.

This power emanates from the juice through to the label. “The packaging tells the story of our company,” says Nonino. “The three women on the label pay respect to Silvia and represent the three generations of women distillers who followed her. Each of them holds a transparent glass in their hands so that when you pour the L’Aperitivo Nonino, the glasses are emptied as if you are drinking with the last three generations of Nonino women!”

L’Aperitivo Nonino BotanicalDrink is one word: versatile – its tantalizing (and top secret) blend of 18 botanicals creates a fresh and bitter enough aperitivo that ignites creativity in cocktail recipes, but is also equally excellent on its own.

So, what is the magic behind Silvia’s original infusion? Well, it’s more than just choosing the right botanicals; it’s also how you treat them. Each of the 18 botanicals is dried at low temperatures to heighten their flavors and aromas, which also lends a kiss of sunshine to the drink’s color. The fifth generation of Noninos, comprised of three sisters, also chose to change the base liquid in their grandmother’s original recipe. By choosing to make the base liquid their proprietary ÙE® Grape Distillate and infusing the 18 local botanicals, the new L’Aperitivo BotanicalDrink is 100% all-natural and vegan friendly.

All you need is ice and you’re ready to sip away, or dazzle it up in cocktails, which bartenders love. Through her extensive travels, Francesca has seen firsthand how L’Aperitivo Nonino BotanicalDrink can create magic in some unexpected ways. “Its tasting notes make it the perfect liqueur not only to be mixed in any super easy, low abv, bubbly cocktail, but also in more complex cocktails, such as in a White Negroni.”

“One of the cocktails created with it that impressed me the most for how quick and delicious it was, is the West Palm. In Florida, they offered me our L’Aperitivo with crushed ice, lime, and Fever-Tree Sparkling Pink Grapefruit, and it was to die for! In San Francisco, a bartender made me a shot that mixed one part of L’Aperitivo and one part of mezcal. I loved how the freshness of Nonino and the smokiness of mezcal complement each other.”

Though a diehard cocktail lover, Francesca Nonino left us with one dare—to find any other aperitif that tastes this good neat. We’ll skip the challenge and head right to sipping this bit of sunshine in a bottle.