Ingredients
Chinese rhubarb root — the same smoky, earthy root behind the whole rabarbaro family — macerated with alpine herbs and citrus at Bordiga's Cuneo workshop, kept low in alcohol and moderate in sugar.
- ✦Chinese rhubarb root
- ✦Gentian root
- ✦Alpine herbs
- ✦Bitter orange peel
- ✦Cinchona bark
History of the Brand
Bordiga was founded in Cuneo in 1888, at the foot of the Maritime Alps, and built its reputation on vermouth and alpine liqueurs made from local botanicals.
Rhubarb-root amari became a Piedmontese and Lombard speciality in the nineteenth century, when dried Chinese rhubarb arrived through northern Italian ports and apothecaries.
Bordiga's version leans drier and more herbal than the sweeter Milanese rabarbari, reflecting the house's alpine palate.
The distillery still works in small batches and remains one of the reference producers for Piedmontese bitter liqueurs.
Tasting Characteristics
Burnt sugar, dried rhubarb, tobacco leaf.
Earthy rhubarb, cola-like spice, gentian bitterness, a herbal lift at the back.
Medium-long, smoky and drying.
Flavor meter
How to serve it
- 01Over ice with a lemon twist as an aperitivo.
- 02With soda for a smoky, low-ABV highball.
- 03In place of Sfumato in a smoky Manhattan variation.
- 04Split with bourbon in a stirred drink.
- 05Neat after dinner in a small glass.
Where to Get It
Imported into the US and UK by specialty distributors; easy to find across Piedmont.
Specialty bottle shops
Shelved beside Zucca and Sfumato, $30–$40.
Online spirits retailers
Search 'Bordiga Rabarbaro'.
Piedmont
Widely sold in Cuneo and Turin alongside Bordiga vermouth.
Affiliate buying links coming soon.
Rabarbaro Bordiga FAQ
What is Rabarbaro Bordiga?
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A rhubarb-root amaro made by Bordiga Liquori in Cuneo, Piedmont, bottled at around 16% ABV.
What does rabarbaro taste like?
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Smoky and earthy, with burnt-sugar sweetness, cola spice and a drying root bitterness.
How is it different from Zucca?
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Bordiga is drier and more alpine-herbal; Zucca is rounder and sweeter.
How should I drink Rabarbaro Bordiga?
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Over ice with lemon, lengthened with soda, or stirred into whiskey cocktails where you want smoke.