What Is Cocchi Americano, And What Does It Taste Like?

Cocchi (pronounced COKE-ey) Americano is an Italian aperitif wine from the town of Asti in Northern Italy. This bittersweet fortified wine has similarities to drinks like vermouth and quinquina because of its herbal, medicinal, and bittersweet palate of flavors. It's made using the remarkably sweet Moscato d'Asti white wine as a base, fortifying it with alcohol, and infusing it with a carefully guarded mixture of botanicals. The flavor profile's key elements include Artemisia, Cinchona bark, bitter orange peel, and elderflower among others.

Cinchona bark is notably a source of quinine which is the bittering agent used in quinquinas and tonic water. This gives a bitter edge to the otherwise sweet wine. This combination is also what sets Cocchi Americano apart from other similar drinks. While some fortified wines like vermouth are often sweetened to counter the bittering agents, Cocchi Americano is made without this step. It's most often compared to the French aperitif wine Lillet because the two recipes were once nearly identical, but Lillet changed its recipe to adapt to sweeter palates in the 1980s. Now as bitter flavors come back in style, Cocchi Americano stands supreme in its category.

Cocchi Americano was originally created by Giulio Cocchi. He was born in Florence but moved further north to Asti. Here he discovered the tradition of Moscato d'Asti wines; and, in 1891 began blending the local wine with herbs, spices, and botanicals. One of these wines was the Cocchi Americano, which has nothing to do with America but takes its name from the Italian word for "bittered" (amaricato). Cocchi Americano is still produced with Giulio's original recipe from the 19th century. The popularity of Cocchi's beverages grew into the next century as Cocchi tasting bars started sprouting up throughout the Northwest of Italy, and was also exported abroad as well.

In 2010, Cocchi Americano was then imported on a large scale into the U.S. as the cocktail revival was just heating up. Its reputation continued to grow thanks to features in many high-profile publications like The New York Times and Washington Post.

There are numerous ways to enjoy Cocchi Americano. The most classic expression of this aperitif is to serve it in a cocktail glass with ice, a splash of soda water, and a twist of orange. That splash of bubbly water allows you to fully experience the delicate and complex aromatics, and the orange helps enhance the drink's citrus notes. It can also stand in for Aperol in an Aperol spritz recipe. Cocchi Americano is also a popular addition to cocktails like the White Negroni, Corpse Reviver #2, or Il Duce.

Because Cocchi Americano still follows its original recipe, it's also useful in any drink that calls for Lillet. Some actually prefer this variation because Lillet changed its recipe. In drinks like the Vesper — which was made famous by James Bond in Casino Royale — some feel that Cocchi Americano is actually the more accurate aperitif to use because its current recipe would have been closer to the Lillet at the time the drink was created.

There are tons of other great ways to experiment with Cocchi Americano making it a great addition to any home bar.