Rather nicely done article by Asimov on digestives, in general, w/ the focus on Italian Amari. Interesting commentary on Barolo Chinato…a rather interesting drink. Wonder why these drinkks are not produced much in the USofA. One of the best used to be the SutterHome TripleCream Apertif. It used to be made from a prescription provided by DarrellCorti and made from very old cream sherry stocks over in Lodi. The current one is actually not bad…maybe the strongest wine in the entire SutterHome lineup. Maybe this is something RandallGrahm should be pursuing??
Tom
My grandmother made herbal remedies, that included for digestion, when I was growing up. Some were from local herbs others included plant parts from the Alps. I remember one root (gentian?) she got from above her home village in Valsassina that if you put a piece on your tongue, you had a bitter taste in your mouth for 3 days. I still remember it and trying to find it on steep slopes where markers cautioned and indicated where someone had fallen to their death. Some of the herbs were in combinations for various ailments including intestinal parasites.
Out of curiosity I googled Quinine and was surprised to read its history.