White Alba Truffles are among the undisputed protagonists of autumn in Piedmont: the most intriguing and fascinating ingredient of fall dining has long conquered the world’s chefs, and now it has been adopted by a new category: mixologists, thanks to the project sponsored by the Ente Fiera Nazionale del Tartufo Bianco d’Alba in collaboration with Giulio Cocchi.

The initiative’s goal is to promote a connubium between the taste of aromatized wines, particularly Vermouth di Torino, and the inimitable flavor of the Tuber magnatum Pico, through recipes officially recognized by the Ente Fiera and Cocchi.

The project figuratively unites two Piedmont cities: Alba, the world’s capital of White Truffles, and Turin, birthplace of Vermouth, in a line passing through Asti and Barolo.

Two products of unquestioned excellence, Vermouth di Torino and White Alba Truffles, blended in a refined cocktail created by Maxim Schulte, 11^th and last Head Bartender of the American Bar at the Savoy in London and currently in charge of the Cocktail Bar at the Kol Restaurant in Marylebone. And so, in the capital of the United Kingdom, the recipe of Alba – Torino first saw the light: a cocktail in which the legendary Storico Vermouth di Torino, infused with White Alba Truffles, is blended with Cocchi’s Barolo Chinato, which, like the truffle, hails from the very heart of the Langhe, and London Dry Gin, creating an aromatic highball with a rich, enveloping, inebriating  flavor. It’s an intentionally minimalist recipe, yet very appealing, and can be easily mixed in restaurants that stock the four original ingredients called for. The payoff is an excellent, seasonal cocktail of high standing.

Meanwhile, in Milan, Guglielmo Miriello, the bar manager at Ceresio 7, was fascinated with the idea and proposes the Italian Gentleman, a complex cocktail with a harmonious, smooth and strong taste, with slightly bittersweet hints of dwarf gentian flowers (from the Cocchi Americano) and cinchona bark (from the Barolo Chinato), expertly joined with freshly shaved White Truffle.

Once more, the versatility of both Truffles and Cocchi’s Piedmontese aromatized wines is confirmed. Perfect in unusual pairings, inspiration for the creation of new cocktails and new “gastronomic” cocktails, showcasing Piedmont’s creativity.

Those who wish to take up the challenge of using White Alba Truffles as an ingredient in a precious and exclusive drink may send in their recipe, complete with an HD photo and/or video to news@cocchi.com and info@fieradeltartufo.org: the best entries will be posted on Giulio Cocchi and the Fiera Internazionale del Tartufo Bianco d’Alba social channels.

THE   RECIPES

ALBA – TURIN

ALBA – TORINO by Maxim Schulte

50 ml Cocchi Storico Vermouth di Torino infused with shaved White Alba Truffle for 32 hours
20 ml Cocchi Barolo Chinato
10ml London Dry Gin

Stir well and serve over a block of ice.
Garnish with a slice of White Alba Truffle. Enjoy

ITALIAN GENTLEMAN

by Guglielmo Miriello

15 ml Dalmore 12 y old whisky aromatized with Piedmontese fatback (fat wash)

15 ml Hennessy XO

25 ml Cocchi Americano

10 ml Cocchi Barolo Chinato

3 ml chocolate bitters

4 grams of shaved White Asti Truffles

Preparation: Gently heat 30 g of Piedmontese lardo (cured fatback) at around 60° C. Pour 300 ml of Dalmore whisky in a tightly sealed container and add the melted lard, shake and place in a blast chiller at -20° C. Wait for the fat to freeze. Strain the whisky using a fine-mesh strainer, making sure to remove all the impurities, then pour into a bottle. Pour all the ingredients into a shaker, add ice and shake for about 15 seconds to dilute and cool the cocktail. Pour the contents into a 150 ml serving bottle and smoke with cherry wood. Prepare the serving glass, pour and shave about 4 grams of White Alba Truffles as a gala dressing on the rocks.