Cocchi Americano is an Italian appetizer that’s perfect for your home bar! Its crunchy flavor is great on ice or in cocktails.
Here’s a delicious Italian aperitif that begs to be part of your spirits collection: Coconuts American! This popular Lillet Blanc substitute is worth seeking out. Its taste is nuanced and intriguing: sweet honey with citrus notes and a bitter grassy finish. It pairs well with Club Soda for the best sparkling and hydrating drinks: and it’s included in some classic cocktails too. Here’s why you should keep a bottle in your fridge!
What is the Cocchi Americano?
Coconuts American is an aromatic Italian wine: a white wine enriched with fruits, herbs and other botanicals. It was invented in 1891 by Giulio Cocchi in Asti, Italy. Production continues to this day according to the original recipe.
Cocchi Americano is flavored with quinine, the substitute that gives tonic water its distinctive taste. Because of this, it makes an excellent substitute for Kina Lillet, a quinine-flavored fortified wine invented in 1887 and set in the famous Vesper Martini and Corpse Reviver. Lillet Blanc then replaced Kina in 1986, which has a lower quinine content. Cocchi Americano is a popular modern substitute for both, although the flavor is slightly sweeter than Lillet Blanc.
How does the Cocchi Americano differ from a fortified wine like vermouth? A flavored wine is a brandy-infused wine that is then infused with herbs, spices, fruit, or other botanicals. Vermouth is simply a fortified wine: it has no added flavors. But you can use cocchi just like you would drink dry white vermouth!
How does the Cocchi Americano taste?
Cocchi Americano has a sweet, honey-like flavor with citrus notes and a bitter gentian finish. It’s made from Moscato wine, so it’s sweeter than a dry vermouth (or Lillet Blanc). It tastes like a semi-sweet white vermouth with bitter grass notes on the finish.
How much alcohol is in Cocchi Americano? It has 16.5% ABV (alcohol by volume), so it has an average alcohol content similar to that of wine.
Are there substitutes for Cocchi Americano? Since Cocchi is known as a substitute for Lillet Blanc, here you can go the other way and use Lillet Blanc as a substitute. Remember that Lillet Blanc is crunchier and drier.
Why we love it
The sweet herbal flavor of Cocchi Americano is so refreshing and perfect for mixing into a spritz, spritzer or a G&T. In the summer, we take a bottle and pour it into herb-filled wine glasses with club soda: no measuring needed! And it makes a stunning Corpse Reviver with more herbal notes than Lillet.
How much does it cost?
Compared to other spirits, Cocchi is Americano average price. A 750ml bottle costs about $20.
Popular Cocchi Americano cocktails
You can drink it over ice, but there are also many great drinks you can make with this appetizer! Here are some Cocchi Americano cocktails to try:
Here’s a 1930’s cocktail that’s as unique as its name… the Corpse Reviver No 2! The humorous name indicates that the drink was strong enough to lift a body from the grave! It’s a sour gin that’s tangy and tangy, made with lemon juice and orange liqueur, with hints of liquorice in the absinthe finish. The original cocktail was made with Kina Lillet, but Cocchi Americano is a perfect substitute.
Ingredients: Gin, Lemon Juice, Cointreau, Cocchi Americano, Absinthe
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Here’s another famous cocktail made with Cocchi Americano: invented by James Bond himself. Discover the Vesper Martini! Yes, James Bond created this drink in the 1953 book Casino royale, and he is still alive today. The magic ingredient is the Cocchi Americano that gives life and personality to this drink. The original Vespers was also made with Kina Lillet replacing Cocchi.
Ingredients: Gin, Vodka, Cocchi Americano
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A great way to drink this tasty aperitif: the Cocchi Americano Spritz! Light and bubbly, tart and citrusy, it couldn’t be easier to make. Mix it with champagne, lemon and gin and you have a light and easy cocchi cocktail.
Ingredients: Cocchi Americano, Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup, Club Soda
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Here’s a memorable, botanical and sparkling Cocchi Americano cocktail: the Cocchi G&T! This recipe features the popular flavored wine disguised as a gin and tonic. The taste is perfectly fresh, with herbaceous notes of cocchi and gin.
Ingredients: Cocchi Americano, gin, tonic water
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The description
The recipe for Corpse Reviver No 2 is a crisp, tangy and perfectly balanced classic cocktail! It’s one hell of a drink… as unique as its name.
- 1 ounce gin
- 1 ounce lemon juice
- 1 ounce Cointreau (or Grand Marnier)
- 1 ounce Coconuts American
- ½ teaspoon absinthe
- For garnish: orange zest or orange wedge
- In a shaker, combine gin, lemon juice, Cointreau, dry vermouth and absinthe. Fill with ice and shake until cold.
- Strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange zest or a slice of orange, if you like.
- Category: drink
- Method: Shocked
- Kitchen: cocktails
- Diet: vegan
Keywords: Coconuts American
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