Solerno - intriguing Sicilian blood orange liqueur

The first thing you notice about this liqueur is the amazing bottle. Supposedly inspired by Murano glass artists, it features a wonderfully graceful neck reminiscent of Renaissance style glass bottles. The bottom looks like an old fashioned citrus juicer, and the red color gradient evokes the color of the blood orange, though the liqueur itself is clear.

So is the liqueur worthy of this artistic bottle? Absolutely. Solerno was created by the same distiller who created Hendrick's Gin, and some of the same quirkiness is evident in the way this liqueur is made. Using only local Sicilian produce, Solerno is distilled three times using copper alembic stills. The first distillation is of the blood orange meat, the second of the orange zest and the third of Sicilian lemons. The resulting liqueur has a strong and complex orange and citrus flavor that is nicely balanced between bitter and sweet. It's not quite as bitter as Campari, but it's certainly less sweet than a Triple Sec.

Another fun fact about Solerno is that it doesn't have its own website. What! No photo montages of impossibly beautiful men and women drinking Solerno, looking like they just stepped off a yacht after a short Mediterranean cruise? It seems quite anachronistic in this day and age, but curiously refreshing as well.

There aren't a lot of cocktail recipes for this liqueur yet, but here's one developed by Jacqueline Patterson, brand ambassador for Solerno. This recipe interestingly uses Solerno as the base alcohol (which makes sense since she's trying to get you to drink a lot of it so she can sell you more) though I can also imagine Solerno being used as more of an accent. This cocktail is quite good, though fair warning - it's definitely on the bitter side.

Sicilian Cooler

2 oz Solerno

3/4 oz Campari

3/4 oz lemon juice

2-3 oz soda water

Shake Solerno, Campari and lemon juice with ice, pour into an ice-filled glass and add the soda water, stirring to incorporate.

This liqueur is hard to find in Washington. I picked up a bottle at the 4th Ave South store (2960 4th Ave S - (206) 587-5687), though the WA State liquor website doesn't show any currently available, so you may need to call.