Strucchi unveils Bitter Bianco
Italian brand Strucchi has launched its Bitter Bianco apéritif in the UK through a partnership with distributor Chimera Brand Development.
The apéritif is the newest addition to the brand’s range of Italian vermouths and bitters, which includes Strucchi Vermouth Bianco, Strucchi Vermouth Rosso, Strucchi Vermouth Dry and Strucchi Bitter Rosso.
Engine Gin founder Paolo Dalla Mora launched the Strucchi brand in 2024, inspired by the life and work of Arnaldo Strucchi.
Strucchi brand ambassador, Leonardo Todisco, said of Bitter Bianco: “It is not intended as a better alternative to red bitter, but rather as a complementary proposition capable of opening new creative avenues behind the bar.
“I have always been passionate about white bitters and have used them extensively throughout my career. Together with Paolo Dalla Mora, we developed this product from the ground up, drawing inspiration from the historical period that informs the entire Strucchi collection.”
Bitter Bianco is made with an infusion of 15 botanicals that includes citrus fruits, aromatic spices and hops. Its nose features balsamic notes of grapefruit, mandarin and wild fennel, while on the palate, drinkers may find an ‘elegant bitterness of hops and bitter orange that give way to aromatic nuances of cardamom and liquorice’.
The finish brings floral and bitter tones of gentian, clary sage and galangal.
Like the rest of the brand’s range, Bitter Bianco aims to ‘combine the traditional vermouth drinking experience of the past with the innovation and versatility of a contemporary bitter’.
Speaking to The Spirits Business after the expression’s UK launch in London last month, Todisco noted a gap in the market for bitter biancos as a spark for the product’s creation.
“I pushed it a lot with Paolo because there are many bitter rossos (red bitters) available on the market, but only a few biancos. I thought we could invite more curiosity from bartenders with a bitter bianco,” he said.
“Bitter Bianco has the same formula as the red bitter but without red colouring and different botanicals. We push three kinds of citrus: grapefruit, tangerine and bitter oranges. We use fennel seeds from the balsamic side for freshness, and then we use American-style hops – the same hops used in IPAs.”
Todisco said he and Dalla Mora opted for this style to get a “very long bitter after-taste, but without being very aggressive”.
Serving suggestions
Bitter Bianco is recommended on the rocks as one might enjoy during a typical aperitivo hour, however, Todisco also highlighted the expression’s flexibility for different cocktails. “The good thing with Bitter Bianco is that you can do the same drinks that you can do with the Bitter Rosso – you can do aperitivo in a Bianco way, you can use it in any cocktail because of its neutral colour.”
Bitter Bianco’s profile lends itself well to reimaginings of the Negroni cocktail through the Negroni Bianco and Sbagliato Bianco, as well as Spritzes, Martinis, and a range of other serves.
Todisco likes it shaken compared to how it might be served at the famous Camparino in Galleria bar in Milan.
“In Milan, we would drink a bitter liqueur, shaken and served with orange peel. I recommend doing this with Bitter Bianco, but in the old way, which is adding a slice of fresh grapefruit into a shaker, muddling the grapefruit, and then shaking everything together with the bitter bianco,” he said.
The spirit’s transparent appearance also naturally lends itself to versatility. “You can mix Bitter Bianco with herbs and basil and you’ll still end up with a nice colour, but if you mix a bitter rosso with fresh basil, for example, you will have a dark green, or a darker colour,” Todisco explained. “This was an important point for us.”
He said: “It offers tremendous possibilities in mixology, both because of its aromatic bouquet – which explores different dimensions compared to a classic red bitter – and because of its pale straw-yellow colour, which allows for greater freedom in visual and chromatic cocktail creation.”
London: one of the best places to launch a new product
At the London launch, Dalla Mora noted that England’s capital has a “special touch to understand when something is good,” referencing the market’s importance as a tastemaker.
Todisco echoed the sentiment: “It is one of the best places to launch a new product because bartenders are curious, knowledgeable, and quick to recognise something genuinely different. If a product is appreciated in London, it’s usually because it really deserves attention.
“That’s why introducing Bitter Bianco here made perfect sense. It offers a fresh citrus profile and a long, elegant bitterness, giving bartenders a new tool for both classic and modern cocktails. London has long helped shape global drinking trends, so the feedback we receive there means a lot to us.”
Strucchi Bitter Bianco is now available in the UK from Hedonism Wines and Master of Malt, with Amazon to come imminently. It has an RRP of £25 (US$33) and an ABV of 27%.
It is also available in Italy, Greece, Germany, France, the Netherlands and Belgium. Denmark will join these markets later this month.
Dalla Mora sold Engine Gin to Italian drinks company Disaronno Group in 2024.
In April, Stucchi created two vermouths exclusively for UK supermarket Marks & Spencer: Vermouth di Torino Bianco and Vermouth di Torino Rosso.
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