The document summarizes the history of Ferro China Amaro, a bitter herbal spirit drink containing cinchona bark and iron citrate. It traces the drink's origins to 19th century Italy, when it was created by Dr. Ernesto Baliva in 1894 and became popular for its purported health benefits. Production expanded internationally but declined in the 20th century as tastes changed. Today only one brand, Ferro China Baliva, remains in production in Italy.
12. Cinchona - โchinaโ
๏ง C. Ledgeriana or c. succirubra
๏ง 1630s: First used as anti-malarial in it's native Peru
๏ง 1640: First used in Europe; Jesuits, popes, royals
๏ง 1820: Antimalarial quinine isolated
๏ง Mid-1800s: Dutch & UK smuggle seeds to Java & Ceylon
๏ง 1918: Dutch near-monopoly, but then WWI & WWII
๏ง 1944: Quinine synthesized
๏ง 2016: - Africa now world's largest producer
13. Amaro: EU 110 / 2008
โBitter-tasting spirit drinks or bitter
(a) Bitter-tasting spirit drinks or bitter are spirit drinks with a
predominantly bitter taste.โ
(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 โamerโ or โbitterโ with or without another term.โ
26. ๏ง Amari, esp. china elixirs
๏ง Vermouth, quinquina, americano
๏ง Tonic water
๏ง Bitter lemon
27. ๏ง Amari, esp. china elixirs
๏ง Vermouth, quinquina, americano
๏ง Tonic water
๏ง Bitter lemon
๏ง Irn Bru
28. ๏ง Amaro (a bitter spirit drink, so not a quinquina),
containing cinchona (โchinaโ)
and
iron citrate (โferroโ),
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
๏ง Strychnine, strychnos nux-vomica
tree
๏ง Cocaine, paper by Paolo
Mantegazza,
professor in Milan (1860)
๏ง China Marziale โ china + nux
vomica + cocaine
32. ๏ง 1863: Vin Mariani,
French-Corsican Angelo Mariani
๏ง 6mg to 7.2mg cocaine extract/oz.
๏ง Fans: Queen Victoria, Thomas
Edison
๏ง Vatican gold medal from Pope
Leo XIII
Tons Of Crazy, Shady Stuff
36. ๏ง Korea declares independence from
China.
๏ง International Olympic Committee
founded.
๏ง State of New York enacts first dog-
licensing law.
๏ง Both Baliva and Bisleri brands of ferro
china born - the first entirely Italian
health tonic brands
1894
37. Dr. Ernesto Baliva
๏ง Born 1863
๏ง Graduated medical school 1880s
๏ง Worked Red Cross, battling malaria in
south Italy
๏ง Worked Farmacia Langeli, licensed to
import china since 1838
๏ง Created Ferro China Baliva 1894,
outsourced production to Pompilio
Benedetti & received royalties.
๏ง Benedetti exported to US during
Prohibition as โmedicinal alcoholโ
38. ๏ง Adults: a shot before dinner,
also as aperitif
๏ง Children: a spoon before bed,
or whipped into an egg yolk
Ferro China Baliva
40. ๏ง Every distilling manual 1850-1900 had FC recipes
๏ง Exports to the Americas, Asia, India
-
The Ferro China Craze
41. The Argentina Connection
-
Ferrocarril (Railway)
๏ถ 1 part ferro china
๏ถ 1 part Pineral
๏ถ 1 part vermouth
๏ถ 1 dash maraschino
liqueur
๏ถ 1 dash grenadine syrup
Shake with ice
Strain into cocktail coupe