Hong Kong bartender’s Milano cocktail a tribute to the fashion capital with a Japanese twist
- Jonny Amir, of Zest by Konishi, says the cocktail he devised is inspired by both the Milano-Torino and the Garibaldi
- A little yuzushu - yuzu-macerated in sake - adds a taste of the Land of the Rising Sun
Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807-1882) earned his place in history as a prominent revolutionary figure in Italy and South America during the mid-19th century. In particular, he is considered to be one of the founding fathers of the Risorgimento, a movement that led to the unification of Italy.
He is also notable for the extraordinary diversity of places and things that admirers have chosen to name after him. These include a British biscuit, a Californian fish, a Mexican pop group, a station on the Paris Metro, a mountain range in British Columbia, a Brazilian football team and several Italian ships.
That list also includes a liquid tribute to the great man. The Garibaldi cocktail is one of the classic Italian aperitivos – drinks taken with light bites or alone to sharpen the appetite – and consists of Campari and orange juice, mixed in roughly equal parts and poured over ice.
The drink’s reddish-orange hue is thought to recall the colour of the Camicie Rosso uniform worn by Garibaldi’s volunteer army, popularly known as the “red shirts”, hence the name.
The composition of the Garibaldi also has an Italian unity theme. Campari comes from Milan in the north, and – although orange juice from other sources is often used – it is traditionally made with the juice of Sicilian oranges, grown in the south.
