Cocktails with Blanc Quinquina
Blanc quinquina is a pale, wine-based aromatised aperitif whose defining flavouring is quinine drawn from cinchona bark.
ABV15–16%
Taste profile
A faintly bitter, tonic-like aroma leads into a light-bodied palate carrying quinine's dry bitterness against gentle wine sweetness.
How it's used
Stirred or built in modest measures, it works as a low-proof aromatic modifier, lending bitter-tonic structure to a base spirit; poured chilled it also stands alone over ice as a lengthened aperitif.
Substitutes for Blanc Quinquina
Another pale bitter aromatised wine of similar weight, or a blanc/dry vermouth for a comparable low-proof aperitif role.
Often confused with
Americano (bitter aromatised wine)
Both are bitter aromatised wines, but a quinquina's defining/main bitter flavouring is quinine (cinchona), whereas an Americano's flavouring is a mix of quinine/gentian with wormwood; they are legally distinct denominations under the same bitter-aromatised-wine category.
Bitter vino (bitter aromatised wine)
Bitter vino's main flavouring under EU 251/2014 is natural gentian flavouring (and it is coloured), whereas a quinquina's main flavouring is natural quinine flavouring.
