Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/391612
october 2014 / the tasting panel / 99 L ong known for their spirit of innovation, the Nonino family has done it again. When launching their single-varietal grappas back in the 1970s, Giannola Nonino was already aware of the importance that the bartending community would play in pushing forward and championing craft spirits. Within their portfolio of unique and distinctive distillates is one of the most versatile and universal amaros on the market. Now with the amaro craze in full swing, Nonino is once more reaching out to the craft bartending community and is taking Nonino Amaro to the taps. With wine on tap and barrel-aged cocktails becoming de rigueur, it was only a matter of time before we saw spirits on tap handles—and how cool is it to see amaro flowing luxuriously out of a stainless steel tap? Very cool indeed: Just ask Matthew Wohleb of The Nook in Phoenix, AZ, who appreci- ates Nonino Amaro's versatility and uses it as a gateway to loop his guests in to the world of amaro. "We are really trying to refocus the American palate away from sweet- driven and savory—the Nonino Amaro is a great stepping stone for this—and we are encountering a market that is more open and willing to experience the spectrum of flavor profiles. And," Wohleb notes with a smile, "bitter is becoming desirable." With a handful of different amaros on the backbar, and at least two cocktails on their list that feature amaro, Wohleb is excited to be pouring Nonino Amaro on tap. "It's a great tool to have behind the bar, a reference point and another way to connect with our guests. The staff is pretty happy, too, as it is a house favorite." Jumping over to the East Coast, we visited Jeff Faile, Bar & Spirits Director at tap-centric establishment The Partisan in Washington, D.C. "We've had the Nonino Amaro on tap since we opened in March, and it has been THE NONINO FAMILY CONTINUES ITS TRAILBLAZING LEGACY WITH AMARO ON DRAFT Matthew Wohleb, Sommelier at Nook Kitchen in Phoenix, AZ. PHOTO: GRACE STUFKOSKY PHOTO COURTESY OF GRAPPA NONINO Two generations of Nonino ladies, from left to right: Cristina, Antonella, Giannola and Elisabetta.