🥃 Frangelico

Frangelico is the hazelnut liqueur in the bottle shaped like a monk. It is an Italian liqueur of hazelnuts and herbs, produced in Canale in Piedmont. The brand was created in 1978, and since 2010 it has been owned by Campari Group. The liqueur is coloured with caramel, its strength is 20% ABV, and the bottle is shaped like a Franciscan monk tied with a knotted rope.

According to VinePair, the base is mainly Tonda Gentile hazelnuts, plus cocoa, vanilla and roasted coffee. The hazelnuts are first roasted and crushed, then steeped in a mixture of spirit and water, producing a nutty distillate. It is blended with other infusions and neutral spirit, left to rest and bottled. The brand's official website mentions only Italian hazelnuts: larger and more even than others, and without bitterness.

The name is linked to the legend of the hermit Fra Angelico, who lived in the hills of Piedmont. Sources disagree on the period: some speak of the 18th century, others of the early 1600s, and another of a recipe "over three hundred years old". This is the brand's legend, so it is not presented as documented history.

At first the brand was produced by the owning family, then it belonged to other companies, and in 2010 Campari Group acquired it together with Irish Mist and Carolans. The strength has changed too: according to available data, the liqueur once had 24%, and earlier still 28% ABV; today it is 20%.

Why this matters to you. Frangelico is not a "nut syrup": it is a 20% ABV liqueur made with nuts, which can cause allergies. Read the ingredients carefully if you have a nut allergy. Check the strength and the bottle size on the label. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.