Tuaca () is an Italian naturally flavored
brandy
Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured with ...
liqueur
A liqueur (; ; ) is an alcoholic drink composed of spirits (often rectified spirit) and additional flavorings such as sugar, fruits, herbs, and spices. Often served with or after dessert, they are typically heavily sweetened and un-aged beyond ...
. Tuaca is a sweet golden brown blend of
brandy
Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured with ...
, citrus essences,
vanilla
Vanilla is a spice derived from orchids of the genus ''Vanilla (genus), Vanilla'', primarily obtained from pods of the Mexican species, flat-leaved vanilla (''Vanilla planifolia, V. planifolia'').
Pollination is required to make the p ...
, and other secret spices. It is bottled at 35%
ABV
Alcohol by volume (abbreviated as ABV, abv, or alc/vol) is a standard measure of how much alcohol (ethanol) is contained in a given volume of an alcoholic beverage (expressed as a volume percent). It is defined as the number of millilitres (mL) o ...
(70
proof).
Tuaca's mild, sweet flavor makes it popular as a
cordial, mixed by some with coffee, both hot and iced.
History
The brand claims the recipe dates back to the
Renaissance
The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history marking the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and covering the 15th and 16th centuries, characterized by an effort to revive and surpass ideas ...
period, a not uncommon (but invariably poorly supported) claim. See
Bénédictine
Bénédictine () is a herbal liqueur produced in France. It was developed by wine merchant Alexandre Le Grand in the 19th century, and is reputedly flavored with twenty-seven flowers, berries, herbs, roots, and spices.
A drier version, B&B, ...
. A legend it promotes claims that it was created in the 15th century for
Lorenzo the Magnificent
Lorenzo di Piero de' Medici (; 1 January 1449 – 8 April 1492) was an Italian statesman, banker, ''de facto'' ruler of the Florentine Republic and the most powerful and enthusiastic patron of Renaissance culture in Italy. Also known as Lorenzo ...
and rediscovered by brothers-in-law Gaetano Tuoni and Giorgio Canepa in 1938. The liquor was first created as ''Brandy Milk'', produced with milk, brandy and vanilla. Later on, milk was dropped from the recipe, and the name was changed to ''Tuoca''.
In the 1960s, Mario di Grazia, an Italian and the owner of a chain of liquor stores in
San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
, began selling the
liqueur
A liqueur (; ; ) is an alcoholic drink composed of spirits (often rectified spirit) and additional flavorings such as sugar, fruits, herbs, and spices. Often served with or after dessert, they are typically heavily sweetened and un-aged beyond ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. To make pronunciation in English easier the name was changed again to ''Tuaca''.
It is popular in
Brighton and Hove
Brighton and Hove () is a city and unitary authority in East Sussex, England. It consists primarily of the settlements of Brighton and Hove, alongside neighbouring villages.
Often referred to synonymously as Brighton, the City of Brighton and H ...
, UK.
Brown-Forman of
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...
acquired the Tuaca brand in 2002, then sold it to
Sazerac Company
Sazerac Company, Inc is a privately held American alcoholic beverage company headquartered in Metairie in the metropolitan area of New Orleans, Louisiana, but with its principal office in Louisville, Kentucky. The company is owned by billionair ...
in 2016.
March 31, 2010, marked the closure of Livorno's historic Tuaca plant.
See also
*
Bomb shot
A bomb shot, depth charge, or drop shot (Canada) is a kind of mixed drink. A drink in a small glass (typically a shot glass) is dropped into a larger glass holding a different drink. The resulting cocktail is typically consumed as quickly as po ...
*
List of cocktails
A cocktail is a mixed drink typically made with a distilled liquor (such as arrack, brandy, cachaça, gin, rum, tequila, vodka, or whiskey) as its base ingredient that is then mixed with other ingredients or garnishments. Sweetened liqueurs, w ...
*
Shooter (drink)
A shooter, or shot, is a small serving of spirits or a mixed drink (usually about one ounce), typically consumed quickly, often in a single gulp. It is common to serve a shooter as a "side" to a larger drink.
Shooters can be shaken, stirred, b ...
References
External links
*
Italian liqueurs
Sazerac Company brands
Vanilla liqueurs
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