12. Cinchona - “china”
C. Ledgeriana or c. succirubra
1630s: First used as anti-malarial in it's native Peru
1640: First used in Europe; Jesuits, popes, royals
1820: Antimalarial quinine isolated
Mid-1800s: Dutch & UK smuggle seeds to Java & Ceylon
1918: Dutch near-monopoly, but then WWI & WWII
1944: Quinine synthesized
2016: - Africa now world's largest producer
13. Amaro: EU 110 / 2008
“Bitter-tasting spirit drinks or bitter
(a) Bitter-tasting spirit drinks or bitter are spirit drinks with a
predominantly bitter taste.”
(b) The minimum alcoholic strength by volume of bitter-tasting
spirit drinks or bitter shall be 15 %.
(c) Bitter tasting spirit drinks or bitter may also be sold under the
names ‘amer’ or ‘bitter’ with or without another term.”
26. Amari, esp. china elixirs
Vermouth, quinquina, americano
Tonic water
Bitter lemon
27. Amari, esp. china elixirs
Vermouth, quinquina, americano
Tonic water
Bitter lemon
Irn Bru
28. Amaro (a bitter spirit drink, so not a quinquina),
containing cinchona (“china”)
and
iron citrate (“ferro”),
min. 15% ABV (30 proof).
Ferro China Amaro
29. Just to get things straight...
Non-alcoholic Alcoholic Wine based Spirit based Has quinine? Has iron citrate?
Tonic water X X
Irn Bru X X X
Vermouth X X
Quinquina X X X
China elixir X X X
Ferro china X X X X
Ferro China Amaro
30. So how, when & why did the Ferro China Category come to exist?
Why in Italy?
And why is there only one brand in Italy left?
Ferro China Amaro
31. Tons Of Crazy, Shady Stuff
Strychnine, strychnos nux-vomica
tree
Cocaine, paper by Paolo
Mantegazza,
professor in Milan (1860)
China Marziale – china + nux
vomica + cocaine
32. 1863: Vin Mariani,
French-Corsican Angelo Mariani
6mg to 7.2mg cocaine extract/oz.
Fans: Queen Victoria, Thomas
Edison
Vatican gold medal from Pope
Leo XIII
Tons Of Crazy, Shady Stuff
36. Korea declares independence from
China.
International Olympic Committee
founded.
State of New York enacts first dog-
licensing law.
Both Baliva and Bisleri brands of ferro
china born - the first entirely Italian
health tonic brands
1894
37. Dr. Ernesto Baliva
Born 1863
Graduated medical school 1880s
Worked Red Cross, battling malaria in
south Italy
Worked Farmacia Langeli, licensed to
import china since 1838
Created Ferro China Baliva 1894,
outsourced production to Pompilio
Benedetti & received royalties.
Benedetti exported to US during
Prohibition as “medicinal alcohol”
38. Adults: a shot before dinner,
also as aperitif
Children: a spoon before bed,
or whipped into an egg yolk
Ferro China Baliva
40. Every distilling manual 1850-1900 had FC recipes
Exports to the Americas, Asia, India
-
The Ferro China Craze
41. The Argentina Connection
-
Ferrocarril (Railway)
1 part ferro china
1 part Pineral
1 part vermouth
1 dash maraschino
liqueur
1 dash grenadine syrup
Shake with ice
Strain into cocktail coupe