The World Liqueur Awards, the highly anticipated annual review of quality bitters, is back. First runner-up? Italy's Camatti beats out the competition with its century-old recipe.
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"We come from the sea, and to the sea, we owe everything: sensations, thoughts and flavors." Flavors, those of Amaro Camatti, that conquered and beat the competition at the World Liqueur Awards (one of the main competitions in the Spirit and Mixology sector worldwide), earning three medals: Best Italian Herbal, World's Best Bitter and the gold medal among Italian bitters. Camatti's product, after all, has a history of more than 100 years old: it was born in 1924 in Recco thanks to the intuition of chemist Umberto Briganti and his brother Cesare. Briganti dedicated the bitter to his wife and named it after her surname.
The successes and accolades came immediately, so much so that in 1935, the bitters company was recognized as "Supplier to the House of His Royal Highness the Prince of Piedmont" with the concession to keep the princely banner raised over the factory. A banner that still appears today on the unmistakable red label. "Camatti" is made with an infusion of herbs and vegetables, including almond, bitter orange, cinchona, mint, and gentian. This is decanted in stainless steel barrels or casks, filtered, and added to a water and sugar syrup. The method is still artisanal and gives a product that always carries with it the flavors of the Ligurian land and its sea. Today its production is managed by Sergio Bergamino and Marco De Marchi, who scrupulously guard and preserve the recipe.
"Our bitters beat all competition at the tastings, coming first in the Italian herbal category and then reaching the highest podium worldwide. These awards make us proud and mark a new milestone. The affection that Ligurians have always reserved for us tells a lot about the value and quality of our product. Still, we are happy that they are rewarded internationally," says Stefano Bergamino. The motto? "Camatti, the bitter that unites" - evidently the judges' taste as well!
Source: genovatoday.it
