This Premium Vodka Is Redefining Italian Food And Drinks Pairings

Premium Italian vodka brand Altamura Distilleries is known for its martinis, but it's also shaking ... More up Italian traditions around food pairings and cocktails.
When it comes to food and drinks, Italians take things very seriously, but a vodka brand based in southern Italy is inspiring a creative approach to cocktails that blurs the line between aperitivo and dinner. Known as Altamura Distilleries, founder Frank Grillo is both respectful of the Mediterranean country's rich culinary traditions, while also inviting bartenders and chefs in Italy and around the world to explore these traditions in innovative ways with its Italian premium vodka.
For Grillo, it all started with a loaf of bread—and not just any bread. In 2020, Grillo—an American with southern Italian heritage and a passion for cooking—came across a recipe for pane di Altamura. This particular baked good has Protected Designation of Origin status from the European Union, meaning that there are specific rules and regulations about where and how it can be made. Most notably, the dough must be prepared with varieties of Durum wheat semolina that grow only in Puglia.
After baking what he calls a 'rogue loaf' of pane di Altamura outside the regional boundaries, Grillo was intrigued by the flavor of the special wheat and asked himself: 'What if we could take this bread and express it in a liquid format, instead of a baked format?' A couple years after Grillo did just that, his curiosity and willingness to experiment at the intersection between food and drinks has spurred others to be equally playful with Altamura Distilleries vodka in terms of both mixology and pairings.
The savory notes of Altamura Distilleries vodka have inspired not only bartenders, but chefs, too.
Key to this is the savory flavor of the vodka, which reflects the terroir of Puglia and its ancient grains. Though vodka is not historically an Italian beverage or generally a spirit sipped slowly alongside meals, Grillo says this one is 'a food-friendly alcohol' and advocates pairing it with umami-forward bites, such as oysters or cheese, especially Parmigiano-Reggiano.
'It's like with cacio e pepe,' Grillo says, referencing the classic Roman pasta made with just cheese and black pepper. 'It's really simple ingredients, but it's really complicated to make because you've got to get it right. With vodka, you just have the grain, so it has to be high quality and very pure. There's nothing to hide behind.'
Penne alla vodka, prepared by Chef Carlotta Aggio at the Four Seasons restaurant in Florence, ... More Italy.
Chef de cuisine Carlotta Aggio at Il Palagio, the restaurant at the Four Seasons in Florence, takes things a step further, using the Altamura Distilleries vodka in an elevated version of another simple pasta dish, penne alla vodka. Meanwhile, at the hotel's bar, Atrium, head bartender Edoardo Sandri has crafted a cocktail known as La Merenda ('The Snack') featuring the vodka mixed with tomato cordial and garnished with basil chips and a sprinkling of Parmigiano, inspired by his childhood after-school snack of a mozzarella and tomato sandwich.
At the Atrium Bar in Florence, Italy, head bartender Edoardo Sandri pours a vodka martini, garnished ... More with a carrot.
At a previous Florence Cocktail Week event, bartender Chiara Poloni further emphasized the naturally wheaty character of the vodka by washing it with butter for her cocktail Souvenir d'Enfance, reminiscent of a simple side of bread and butter. To the north, at Michelin-starred Moebius in Milan, bartender Giovanni Allario drew on his memories of growing up in Genoa, the birthplace of pesto, to create a Pesto Martini.
Across the Atlantic Ocean, Altamura Distilleries vodka made waves last year as a key ingredient in the Martini of the Year, according to Esquire. Served at Clemente Bar in New York City, its distinctly savory quality comes from curry paste, green chili chutney, and olive oil used to fat-wash the vodka.
With Altamura Distilleries officially named the Vodka Partner of The World's 50 Best Hotels, more chefs and bartenders will have a chance to create unique combinations with this Italian premium vodka that bend the rules and blend international flavors.

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