Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/551222
1 14 / the tasting panel / august 2015 T here's no denying that the bitter side of beverages has seen quite an uptick in popularity as the craft cocktail scene continues to blossom. Left on the side of the road are sub-par, sugary sippers that have no place in the fresh, flavor-packed shakers of today. What's left: great ingredients that bartend- ers giddily find new ways to elevate and celebrate. Enter Brancamenta, the latest-oldest craft-bar darling. "I love Brancamenta—it's really intense! So strong and herby," says Robert Giles, co-owner of Erv's in Lefferts Gardens, Brooklyn. Which is exactly the characteristic that sets it distinctly apart from its amari brethren, even within the famed 170-year- old Fratelli Branca Distillers family line of the digestives. Indeed, Brancamenta is no shrinking violet. While it certainly has a depth and complexity of flavor from its other herby and floral players, they all circle around the amaro's gravitational central minty note, gleaned from the extract of that wonderful, fresh herb. Mint Brancamenta IS READY FOR ITS CLOSE-UP by Amy Zavatto / photos by Timothy Murray Condition