Bigallet China China

Bigallet China-China Amer "Bitter"...$38.99
The Bigallet company was founded in 1872 in Lyon by Felix Bigallet. In 1885, the company moved to Virieu, a tiny village at the foot of the Rhone Alps, where the Bigallet family originated. They built the distillery close to the small railroad station in order to have a shorter distance to carry deliveries of sugar and other ingredients. Today, the village of Virieu has a population of around 1,200, and Emanuel Bigallet, the grandson of Felix Bigallet, still operates the facility.

China-China is an amer produced by the Bigallet Distillery. Amer is the French version of amaro, meaning “bitter.” An amer is a bitter digestive liqueur often enjoyed after meals. Amers have become increasingly popular in the United States, particularly for mixing in cocktails.

The high orange note present in the China-China comes from a process of distilling orange peel maceration three times in copper alembic stills. This results in a higher alcohol content and more balanced bitterness than most bitter liqueurs, in addition to a stronger orange quality. To get the unique flavor, Bigallet uses both sweet oranges from Valencia and bitter oranges from the former Dutch island colony of Curaçao. Other aromatic ingredients in the China-China include anise, cinchona, gentian, clove, and other spices. Bigallet China-China is highly balanced and excellent for both sipping on its own or for use in cocktails.