Altamura Distilleries Vodka and The Ritz Valentine’s Day Cocktail

One of the leading producers of premium Italian vodka, Altamura Distilleries, which was launched in the UK at the end of last year, has teamed up with London’s 5 star Ritz Hotel in Piccadilly to create a rather special Valentine’s Day cocktail called the Aurora Rubra, meaning “Red Dawn”, which is available throughout February and is the exclusive ‘Ritz Cocktail of the Month’.

This sun-kissed cocktail celebrates the romance and vibrancy of Southern Italy and has been inspired by two quintessential elements of Italian terroir, namely premium vodka from Puglia and the succulent blood oranges from Sicily.

Due to the luscious blood orange juice, the refreshing Aurora Rubra is deep crimson in colour, reminiscent of the fiery sunrises over Mount Etna, while the sweet-tart flavour gives the cocktail a vibrant complexity.

Thanks to the Italian vermouth, Mancino Sakura, you will notice the herbal and floral notes, which celebrate Italy’s rich traditions. Adding a touch of Japanese sake brings balance and elegance with its smooth, umami-rich character, then finally an added splash of Spanish sherry is a reminder of the shared Mediterranean heritage giving a nutty depth and subtle salinity.

Naturally, Altamura Distilleries Vodka is at the heart of the Aurora Rubra, a vodka distilled from Italy’s ancient Altamura durum wheat which is known for its rich heritage in Puglia over two millennia, and gives it a smooth, distinctive flavour that is both elegant and refined.

It is distilled using a meticulous process that preserves the distinct flavours of the wheat, giving it a subtle aniseed and pepper as well as lemon zest flavour that is derived from Altamura wheat. Its velvety smoothness offers delicate notes of vanilla, almond and honey, resulting in a premium vodka that is as refined as it is versatile, meaning that it can be enjoyed neat or used in a wide range of cocktails, such as in the Aurora Rubra of course, which is made with 40ml Altamura Vodka, 5ml Mancino Sakura Vermouth, ⁠10ml Akashi Tai Daiginjo Sake, ⁠7.5ml Tio Pepe Sherry, ⁠25ml Blood Orange Juice and garnished with Blood Orange Pate de Fruit.

Altamura Distilleries’ premium vodka (43% abv /70cl) is available to purchase at Master of Malt, The Whisky Exchange and on Amazon from £35.25. And for more information about Altamura Distilleries and its products, please visit www.altamuradistilleries.com.

Author Bio:

Simon Burrell is a UK-based travel and motoring journalist and editor, a former member of The British Guild of Travel Writers and professional photographer.

Photograph courtesy of Altamura Distilleries