Cocchi Americano is an Italian aperitivo that’s a fitting addition to your home bar! Its crisp flavor is great on the rocks or in cocktails.

Cocchi Americano

Here’s a tasty Italian aperitif that’s begging to be part of your liquor collection: Cocchi Americano! This popular substitute for Lillet Blanc is worth seeking out. Its flavor is nuanced and intriguing: honey sweet, with citrus notes and a bitter herbal finish. It pairs well with club soda for the best bubbly, hydrating drinks: and it features in a few classic cocktails, too. Here’s why to stock a bottle in your refrigerator!

What is Cocchi Americano?

Cocchi Americano is an Italian aromatized wine: a white wine infused with fruits, herbs and other botanicals. It was invented in 1891 by Giulio Cocchi in Asti, Italy. Production has continued to this day with the original recipe.

Cocchi Americano is flavored with quinine, the substitute that gives tonic water its distinctive flavor. Because of this, it’s a great substitute Kina Lillet, a quinine-flavored fortified wine invented in 1887 that stars in the famous Vesper Martini and Corpse Reviver. Lillet Blanc later replaced Kina in 1986, which has a lower quinine content. Cocchi Americano is a popular modern substitute for both, though the flavor is slightly sweeter than Lillet Blanc.

How does Cocchi Americano differ from a fortified wine like vermouth? An aromatized wine is a wine that’s fortified with brandy and then infused with herbs, spices, fruit or other botanicals. Vermouth is simply a fortified wine: it has no extra flavors added. But you can use Cocchi in a similar way that you’d drink a dry white vermouth!

What does Cocchi Americano taste like?

Cocchi Americano has a sweet and honeyed flavor, with citrus notes and a bitter gentian finish. It’s made with Moscato wine, so it’s sweeter than a dry vermouth (or Lillet Blanc). It tastes like a semi-sweet white vermouth with bitter herbal notes on the finish.

How much alcohol is in Cocchi Americano? It is 16.5% ABV (alcohol by volume), so it has a mid-range alcohol content that’s similar to wine.

Are there any Cocchi Americano substitutes? Since Cocchi is known as a substitute for Lillet Blanc, you can go the other way and use Lillet Blanc as a substitute here. Keep in mind, Lillet Blanc is more crisp and dry.

Why we like it

The sweet, herbal flavor of Cocchi Americano is so refreshing and perfect for mixing into spritzes, spritzers, or a G&T. In the summer, we grab a bottle and pour it into herb-stuffed wine glasses with club soda: no need to measure! And it makes a knock-out Corpse Reviver, with stronger herbal notes than Lillet.

How much does it cost?

Compared to other liquors, Cocchi Americano is mid-priced. A 750 ml bottle costs about $20.

You can drink it on ice, but there also many great drinks to make with this aperitif! Here are a few Cocchi Americano cocktails to try:

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Corpse reviver No 2

Corpse Reviver & More Cocchi Americano Cocktails


  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1 drink 1x

Description

The Corpse Reviver No 2 recipe is a classic cocktail that’s crisp, tart and perfectly balanced! It’s one heck of a drink…just as unique as its name.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ounce gin
  • 1 ounce lemon juice
  • 1 ounce Cointreau (or Grand Marnier)
  • 1 ounce Cocchi Americano
  • ½ teaspoon absinthe
  • For the garnish: Orange peel or orange wedge

Instructions

  1. Add the gin, lemon juice, Cointreau, dry vermouth, and absinthe to a cocktail shaker. Fill it with ice and shake it until cold.
  2. Strain into a cocktail glass. If desired, garnish with an orange peel or orange wedge.
  • Category: Drink
  • Method: Shaken
  • Cuisine: Cocktails
  • Diet: Vegan

Keywords: Cocchi Americano

More cocktail guides

Need more liquor guides? We’ve got them! Here’s all you need to know about home bartending:

About the authors

Sonja & Alex

Meet Sonja and Alex Overhiser: Husband and wife. Expert home cooks. Authors of recipes you'll want to make again and again.

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