Products You Might Not Know About: Mazzura Aperitif
Welcome to Products You Wouldn’t Know About
A series that shines a spotlight on lesser-known gems. These are drinks that fly under many radars, but offer tons of creativity for bartenders and curious cocktail lovers at home. Mazzura Aperitif is one of those special bottles.
Mazzura Aperitif
Mazzura Aperitif comes from the Cappelletti family in Italy’s Triveneto region—the same area where the Spritz originated. The producer is Antica Erboristeria Cappelletti, a family-owned business founded in 1906, now in its fourth generation. They’re known for amari and aperitivi like Specialino and Amaro Sfumato, and Mazzura adds another interesting chapter to that tradition.
Mazzura is a wine-based aperitif at 17% ABV, and YES, you should definitely keep it in the fridge once opened!
It boasts a natural colour derived from flowers and fruit. Even though the region is known historically for using cochineal in colouring, Mazzura is fully vegan, using only plant-based and fruit-flower sources.
On the nose it’s aromatic and herbaceous, with gentle floral notes, orange sherbet, bay leaf, and mild spice. The palate delivers bright acidity and a well-rounded bitterness, with gentian at its core and a clean, lingering finish.
This layered character makes Mazzura enjoyable simply over ice or chilled from the fridge, while also lending itself beautifully to low-ABV drinks, spritz-style cocktails, or as a bittersweet component in more structured classics.
My Favourite Cocktail Riff
I discovered Mazzura while working on my drink for the Nikka Perfect Serve competition in Australia.
My riff: use Nikka Days (a floral whisky from Japan) as the base, balanced with Mazzura for bittersweet body.
I added a blend of fig liqueur and dry vermouth to keep the wine-based elements lean.
Then a dash of malic acid for bite, another of shio koji (for umami lift), and I finished with a 24-month aged cheese (yes, cheese!) to garnish—bite first, drink second.
The result: orchard fruit notes, sweet aromas, a bitter edge, gentle citrus, salty-umami interplay. It definitely hit something rare, so much to take me all the way to the National Finals!
The Inspiration Behind the Drink
Growing up in Italy, some of my fondest memories begin with the clinking of glasses just before sunset. The aperitivo is more than a drink—it’s a ritual. A pause in the day where laughter flows, wine is poured, and small bites bring people together. It’s the taste of leisure, of stories told between friends, of shared moments that never rush.
With my cocktail Il Giorno, created for the Nikka Perfect Serve competition, I wanted to bridge that soulful Italian tradition with the refined craftsmanship of Nikka. Just as the aperitivo balances refreshment and flavour, Nikka Days blends gentle malt with fruit and lightness, a whisky designed for everyday enjoyment much like wine at the Italian table. Mazzura, with its wine base and elegant bitterness, anchored the drink in Italy’s heritage. Fig liqueur and bianco vermouth added orchard sweetness and botanical depth, tying both Italian and Japanese palates together. To sharpen and enrich, I folded in a dash of malic acid for lift and shio koji for umami depth—flavours reminiscent of aged cheese on a wooden board between friends.
The garnish was more than decoration: a slice of 24-month aged formaggio, served alongside. It transformed the serve into a pairing, balancing savoury and sweet, east and west, old and new.
Il Giorno became a toast to the everyday, a drink to mark the golden hour, where past and present share the same table, one sip at a time.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Il Giorno is more than a competition cocktail.
It’s a celebration of balance and tradition.
Bright flavours, the bittersweet elegance of Mazzura, and the gentle depth of Nikka Days, all tied together with a whisper of umami. It’s layered, complex, yet approachable, designed to spark memories as much as building new ones.
This drink is easy to replicate at home or behind the bar. Give it a go and let us know what you think!
If you want something that’s fun to experiment with behind the bar or at home, that stands apart from mainstream bittersweet aperitivos, Mazzura deserves attention.
Now it’s your turn to give this a try!
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