A few months ago, a friend of mine recommended that I try Dumante Verdanoce, a pistachio liqueur from Italy.  So, I emailed the contact from Dumante and he sent me a full bottle to try.  

Now before I show you the bottle, I want to first give you a little bit of the back-story.  Dumante Verdanoce was first released in 2007.  While the product is produced and sourced at a facility in Southern Italy’s Amalfi Coast, the concept actually came from Howard Sturm, an American who lives in Louisville, Kentucky.  His goal was to produce a pistachio liqueur, a space that no other brand had filled before, and he wanted his product to be ultra-premium, one that would be “sipped and savored by connoisseurs who enjoy fine Cognacs, single barrel bourbons, single-malt scotches, artisan brandies and other great Italian wines & spirits.”

Here’s how you go ultra-premium if you’re coming out with a new product:

Stylish red cloth bag with Dumante fertility symbol on it, and gold draw string.

The bottle is simple, sleek and upscale (c’mon, you’d expect nothing less from an Italian product).  It’s actually a work of art in and of itself.  The hexagonal stopper is heavy and made from black glass.

The liqueur itself is luscious, velvet-ty, pungent and nutty.  The pistachio is there, but I actually get a lot of almond as well.  Reminds me of the aroma of a Chinese almond dessert.  It isn’t cloyingly sweet like other liqueurs, and is actually something that you could sip on its own every few months.  I think it would really shine in cocktails that introduce other balanced flavors.  I’m not a mixologist by any stretch of the imagination, but Dumante recommends drinking Dumante Verdenoce as a Dumante Draft (chilled Dumante with a shot of heavy cream), a Sicilian Manhattan (1 part Dumante, 2 parts Kentucky Bourbon, 1/2 part orange bitters), or even a Dumante Old Fashioned (Dumante, maraschino cherry, orange slice, bitters).

It sounds like it would also be amazing in desserts and after-dinner drinks, like the Cafe Dumante (a cup of hot coffee with a shot of Dumante), Dumante Churros con Chocolate, or Dumante Pistachio Creme Brulee.

As is a lot of times the case, something great came out of something that was originally a problem.  Many liqueurs start with an infusion of the key flavor in a neutral grain spirit, but for some reason, that wasn’t working well with the pistachios.  Instead, they used an Italian molasses-based spirit as the base, which not only aided the infusion but also added its own natural sweetness.  With less added sugar, the liqueur carries a much more balanced sweetness.

Dumante uses 10% real Sicilian pistachios, as well as 5 different types of vanilla.  It’s priced at $39.99-$43.00, so expect to pay more for this than a premium vodka.  But know that you’re getting something handcrafted in small batches, that none of your has tasted before, and is versatile enough to be sipped neat, mixed into a scrumptious shot or cocktail, or used to whip up a decadent dessert.

  1. bayareaspirits posted this