Nardini il mezzoemezzo Liquore Aperitivo

Nardini il mezzoemezzo is an aperitivo liqueur from Ditta Bortolo Nardini, the grappa distillery founded in 1779 at Bassano del Grappa in the Veneto and counted among the oldest in Italy. The house works chiefly with grapes from the surrounding wine country, and that distilling background carries into its aperitivi, which are built for the Italian table rather than the dessert trolley. It is bottled at 22%, in the lighter, sessionable band of the category.

The profile leans on vanilla, honey, almond and citrus peel over a soft caramel sweetness, the kind of gentle, rounded bitterness that suits an afternoon glass. Behind the bar it works as an aperitivo base, adding mild bitter lift, sweetness and colour without the heavier bite of a full bitter, which makes it a ready partner for Prosecco and soda in a spritz or a long pour over ice. Serve it chilled with a slice of orange, or build it into a lighter spritz where its softer edge keeps the drink easy.