Tramonto limoncello and Aperol cocktail recipe

How to make Fugazzi’s Tramonto

We explore the origins behind one of Australia’s signature drinks: the Tramonto cocktail.

Tramonto

Kristina Soljo

Ask a handful of people to name the most quintessentially Italian liqueurs they can think of, and it’s guaranteed that Aperol and limoncello will come up more than once. Both, after all, are bedrocks of the bel paese’s drinking culture – the former a staple in preprandial Spritzes, the latter an always welcome closer to a long alfresco feast.

Combining the two in a cocktail is by no means an orthodox move, but then Fugazzi isn’t known for sticking to the rules. At Adelaide’s red-hot neo-Italian bar and diner – which Laura and Max Sharrad co-own with Simon Kardachi – the house Gibson benefits from a blast of basil oil, while Martinis show up with a skewer of bocconcini alongside.

“The Tramonto actually began as a riff on a Margarita, developed by one of our barmen, Tyler,” says bar manager Chris Littlejohns. “I loved the jalapeño-infused honey syrup, but felt a mezcal Margarita might be slightly off-brand at an Italian restaurant. So, I asked him to have another go and within a half-hour we had the base for the now popular drink.”

It’s a pick-me-up suited to just about any hour, but if one time of day seems more fitting than others, the cocktail’s colour and name say it all: “Tramonto” means “sunset” in Italian.

Make it yourself:

To make a batch of honey-infused jalapeño syrup, combine 100ml each honey and boiling water. Once dissolved and cooled, add 30gm sliced jalapeños (seeds included). Refrigerate in a sealed container for three days, then strain the liquid. In a cocktail shaker, combine 2 tbsp Aperol, 2 tbsp limoncello, 11/2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice, 1 tbsp honey-infused jalapeño syrup and 2 dashes of orange bitters. Fill the shaker with ice, shake vigorously until well chilled and double strain into a Nick and Nora glass. Garnish with an orange twist.