HWG Spirit Book

AMARO • BITTERS

Elixir Craft Spirits

Eugene, Oregon (Elixir, Inc.)

Elixir Distillery, founded by Italian brothers Andrea and Mario Loreto in Eugene, Oregon, is dedicated to revivifying traditional spirits in the Italian tradition using the finest all-natural ingredients. Together, the brothers have gathered the world’s finest Pacific Northwestern and European botanicals to craft an authentic fernet of surprising aromatic nuance and bold herbaceous and floral notes. All of their spirits are composed of pure McKenzie River water and the purest certified organic grain neutral spirit. They are a member of the Good Food Merchant Guild and thus must meet strict guidelines. Iris, Floral Liqueur Iris takes its name from its main ingredient—genuine iris root. Iris root is legendary for its delicate, violet-like scent. For centuries, Florentines cultivated iris plants in their vineyards to enhance their wines, and used iris root infusions to make floral liqueurs. Often found in gins, this is the only liqueur created around it, lightly sweetened with agave syrup. Calisaya, Liqueur  A natural Calisaya liqueur (like Campari). Once a common bitter liqueur in the pre-

LIQUEURS VERMOUTH AMARO • BITTERS ABSINTHE

prohibition era, Calisaya was actually a type of bitter made from chinchona bark. Elixir uses the chinchona along with various botanicals, flowers and Valencia oranges to produce an American amaro. Think Grand Marnier meets Nonino Amaro. Fernet dei Fratelli Loreto Elixir creates their liqueurs in small, handmade batches. They carefully test each batch prior to bottling to ensure that the artful array of barks, spices, and flowers has matured into a perfect mosaic of flavors. Fernet dei Fratelli Loreto can be enjoyed straight as an after-dinner digestif, in espresso, or as an inventive addition in many cocktails.

75