LAGO MAGGIORE PUNCH COCKTAIL

By Alessio Giovannesi

 

45 ml Latitudine gin

30 ml Genziana Spitz

30 ml vervain infusion

15 ml pink grapefruit juice

5 ml sugar syrup 1-1

 

Preparation: Pour the bottled drink directly into a rock glass full of ice, garnish with grapefruit zest.

 

Notes: First of all, we must say that Punch is the oldest drink of the world, dating back to the XVII century. It comes from England and became widespread thanks to the Americans.

Punch consists of 5 elements, like the fingers of a hand, which is named after. We need a diluted part (water or tea), an alcoholic part (spirit), a sour part (citrus fruit), sugar and spices.

 

For the “Lago Maggiore Punch”:

We take some local products, like gin and gentian that give the alcoholic part, whereas the spicy note comes from gentian Spitz and the diluted part is given by vervain, a plant growing near Angera. Then we add pink grapefruit (citrus part) and sugar to balance the mixture.

 

An easy-to-do drink with spicy notes and a flavour that immediately hits the palate, perfect as aperitif or after dinner, to be drunk with friends at the bar or at home!

Vervain has relaxing properties and won’t let you down, whereas the gentian in the Spitz will have an invigorating power, backed by the wonderful Latitudine45 gin!