Hong Kong-based bartender Simone Rossi on why the Fragrant Harbour is the perfect place to revive a little-known, centuries-old liqueur tradition
If you've been to Hong Kong bars like Terrible Baby, LPM and Bar Leone lately, chances are you've seen a clear, apothecary-style bottle on the backbar, simply emblazoned with an authoritative 'R' and containing within it an alluring, dark crimson liquid. Ratafia Rossi is the first independent venture of Simone Rossi, a native of Grosseto, Italy and one of the most recognisable faces in Hong Kong's bar scene.
The elixir itself is the result of three years of development by Rossi and pays homage to ratafia, a centuries-old category of liqueur made from an infusion of fruit or fruit juices and alcohol, with the Italian style of wine-based ratafia pioneered by Cistercian friars in the Piedmont region in the 17th century. So why is a new brand of ratafia being launched in 2023, and in Hong Kong of all places—a whopping 9,500km away from the birthplace of the category?
We speak to Rossi on the symbolic roots of the liqueur, how the city was the perfect place to launch his own brand, and why it's important for bartenders to branch out into new fields in today's fast-changing world of mixology.
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Where did you get the inspiration to create Ratafia Rossi?
The inspiration for Ratafia Rossi was [ratafia’s historic association as] the liquor of notaries. Back in the 1600s when people were making deals, they would go to a notary. The deal would be closed by a handshake, [after which] the notary would pour a shot of that dark red liquid to symbolise the blood pact between the people. Then the parties would toast each other with the phrase “ut rata fiat,” which meant that the deed was ratified.
That's why it was considered the liquor of notaries, because it was used to celebrate the union and the agreements between people. There’s a very strong and very symbolic meaning to the product and where the name comes from.
Tell us a little bit about how it’s produced.
The distillery I work with was founded in Piedmont in 1957. What I like about them is that they are big, but they are still owned by a brother and sister.
Piedmont is the region where ratafia as a category was born back in the 1600s. It then spread to the very base of Italy, in Abruzzo, so Piedmont and Abruzzo are where the most well-known styles of ratafia come from today. Ratafia is also very famous in Mediterranean countries like Spain and France.
My intention was to rediscover ratafia as a category to reintroduce the market because it is a forgotten category not only to consumers, but also to professionals and bartenders. Ratafia Rossi is inspired by the classic Italian ratafia, which most of the time has a wine or alcohol base infused or macerated with cherries, but technically it is not 100% a classic Italian ratafia, because I want to develop the liquid into a modern aperitivo style.
What goes into the ratafia?
Ratafia Rossi is produced in the Asti region in Piedmont—which is known as Italy’s heart of aperitivo production because it’s where most of the vermouths and liqueurs are made. At its core, it’s a very elegant and refined aperitif cherry wine. We have Barbera d’Asti DOCG and a mix of three and 10-year-old brandy as a base, and then we add some botanicals in there like cherries, dried figs, dried dates and chinotto peel which give this extra layer of flavour.
On the nose, there are obviously cherries and red berries, some licorice, and then I’ve been told that there is rosemary, although there's no rosemary [that goes into it] at all. You have lots of dried fruits and the chinotto gives you this nice and pleasant long finish. It's a very friendly product.
I recommend drinking it straight up, like a port wine. Otherwise it also works very well on the rocks with a nice block of ice. In terms of cocktails, we don’t give strict rules. If you like, you can enjoy it with soda, tonic, ginger soda—anything works. It's also good in spritzes, sour-style cocktails, a Negroni or a Manhattan. When it comes to food pairings, it goes well with some cheeses, fruity desserts and with even foie gras.
How does Ratafia Rossi pay homage to Hong Kong?
The Star Ferry was where I took my first call with the distillery in June 2020, and one month later I kicked off this project. Since I was crossing over on the ferry, I wanted to incorporate a star into the logo to give the brand a symbol that’s a very subtle and small element of Hong Kong. After all, it’s where I've been based for seven years and is essentially where I have my connections, and it’s here that I started this product.
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