Driven by the great popularity of Campari and Aperol, several other manufacturers have also started producing red-colored, slightly bitter aperitifs. Manufacturers can be found both in Italy, the home of the drink style, and also in several other European countries. Antica Distilleria Quaglia was founded at the end of the 19th century and is one of the traditional distilleries in the Piedmont region. The company produces a comprehensive selection of different vermouths, bitters, aperitifs, herbal and other liqueurs. In addition to vermouths, the Berto name also includes vodka and two different gins. Berto Bitter is generally sold in a liter bottle at a price of around €20, but in Riga’s biggest liquor store it was available at a discounted price of €8.90.

Berto Bitter is dark red in the glass, very similar in color to Campari. The smell is also similar, sweet and bitter. The taste is soft, herbaly, slightly bitter, but clearly less mouth-watering than its predecessor, Campari. The taste is suitably bitter for sipping neat. There is enough sweetness, but nothing too sugary. The taste has bunch of different herbs and spicies, but the palette is suitably mixed, so that no specific single herb or spice pops out. The wormwood and gentian root used in the production of the product feel pleasantly bitter in the aftertaste and cut the sugariness of the liqueur nicely.

The bitterness that Berto gives to mixed drinks takes a bit of a back seat. In Negroni, Berto leaves a little more space for vermouth and gin, compared to a drink traditionally made with Campari. Berto Bitter is a decent liqueur, perfect as an aperitif on its own or with ice. It brings a slightly lighter bitterness to mixed drinks than the market leader Campari.

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