I’ve recent­ly put the Ital­ian aper­i­tif Dim­mi Liquore di Milano into my liquor cab­i­net. It’s been get­ting a lot of atten­tion from the top mixol­o­gist late­ly, and for good reason

Dim­mi gets its base from north­ern Ital­ian organ­ic wheat dis­til­la­tion. They infuse the base with a rus­tic recipe from 1932 includ­ing assen­zio gen­tile, an Ital­ian absinthe.

This infu­sion also includes nuances of:

• liquorice
• vanil­la
• rhubarb
• gin­seng
• bit­ter orange (orange peels)

Dim­mi also includes a sec­ond, more mod­ern flo­ral infu­sion. This infu­sion adds an essence of peach and apri­cot flower blos­soms and young Neb­bi­o­lo grap­pa. The grap­pa is what mar­ries the old infu­sion with the new infu­sion. This is where clas­sic meets modern.

And just when you thought it could­n’t get any bet­ter, they fin­ish the liqueur off with a tiny bit of organ­ic beet sug­ar. The beet sug­ar applies a beau­ti­ful weight and vis­cos­i­ty to the palette and adds to the long finish.

Sells for around $35 a bottle.

Cocktails

Culture Club

• 2 oz Dim­mi Liquore Di Milano
• 1 oz Pis­co Gran Sierpe
• 1/2 oz Lil­let Blanc
• Cou­ple dash­es of Post Pro­hi­bi­tion orange bitters

Stir cock­tail with ice and strain into a chilled cock­tail glass.

Gar­nish with a lemon twist.

Recipe by Josh Sul­li­van and Paul Palombo.

Summer Cup

• 1 1/2 oz gin
• 1/2 oz Dim­mi Liquore di Milano
• 1/2 oz yel­low Chartreuse
• 1/2 oz lemon juice
• 2 oz qual­i­ty ton­ic water
• Thin­ly sliced cucumber

Shake with ice and strain all ingre­di­ents except cucum­ber to a collins glass.

Fin­ish with the ton­ic water.

Add ice and cucum­ber slices.

Recipe by Neyah White