Guns of Barbaresco Recipe

By
Maggie Hoffman
Maggie Hoffman is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Maggie Hoffman
Maggie Hoffman is a longtime food and drink expert whose recipes and cocktail-making tips can be found on her newsletters What to Drink and The Dinner Plan. She is the author of  The One-Bottle Cocktail and Batch Cocktails, both published by Ten Speed Press.
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Updated March 24, 2025
20160310-chinato-cocktail-guns-of-barbaresco-vicky-wasik.jpg
Vicky Wasik

Why It Works

  • Barolo Chinato adds a deep complexity to cocktails.
  • Toasting a star anise pod for the garnish boosts the drink's spicy aroma.

Michael Lorberbaum created this apple brandy cocktail, which I first tried at Portland's Ava Gene's. It softens potent 100-proof apple brandy with bright lemon and Barolo Chinato, a bittersweet, herb- and spice-dosed digestivo made from one of Italy's best wines. The results are rich, fruity, and spirituous.

At Ava Gene's, they use deeply savory chinato from Mauro Vergano in this drink, and add gum arabic to the simple syrup to increase the richness of the cocktail's texture. At home, it's fine to use a regular double-strength simple syrup made with flavorful Demerara sugar.

Recipe Details

Guns of Barbaresco Recipe

Prep 5 mins
Cook 5 mins
Active 6 mins
Cooling Time 5 mins
Total 15 mins
Serves 1 serving
Keep Screen Awake

Ingredients

  • 1 whole star anise pod

  • 1 1/2 ounces (45 ml) straight apple brandy (100 proof)

  • 3/4 ounce (20 ml) Barolo Chinato

  • 1/2 ounce (15 ml) fresh lemon juice from 1 whole lemon

  • 1/2 ounce (15 ml) strong Demerara syrup (see note)

  • 3 dashes Regans' Orange Bitters

Directions

  1. Place star anise pod in a small skillet over medium heat and toast, stirring and flipping frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer to a plate and set aside to cool.

  2. Add apple brandy, Barolo Chinato, lemon juice, strong Demerara syrup, and orange bitters to a cocktail shaker and fill 2/3 full with ice. Shake until well chilled, about 15 seconds. Fine-strain into a cocktail coupe. Garnish with toasted star anise pod.

Special equipment

Cocktail shaker, fine strainer

Notes

To make strong Demerara syrup, combine 1/2 cup water with 1 cup Demerara sugar in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Cool before using. Simple syrup will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
285 Calories
0g Fat
27g Carbs
0g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 285
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 14mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 27g 10%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 18g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 25mg 123%
Calcium 18mg 1%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 114mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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