Bitter Digestive Cardus

Infusion of wild thistle, Reggio Calabria bergamot and blueberry — 28% vol.

Forty days of infusion for a bitter that tastes of the deep South

Patea's Amaro Digestivo Cardus

Cardus is born from the infusion of three unusual ingredients: wild thistle, Reggio Calabria bergamot, and blueberry, complemented by natural flavors. The production follows the most traditional methods—forty days of infusion in steel vats, followed by reduction to 28% alcohol—and during maceration, the plants release their bitter components, which are the product's signature. The color is the classic brown of bitters, and the flavor is bold, aromatic, and persistent, with nuances that change in the glass and make the tasting experience an atypical journey into the depths of Southern Italy. Serve chilled, or better yet, chilled.
 
 
 

The roots of this bitter are in the only taste that can be learned

Of all the flavors, bitterness is the only one no one is born with. It's a warning signal ingrained in our biology: in nature, many toxic substances are bitter, and children's instinctive rejection of bitter food is an ancient defense mechanism. Then, as we grow, something curious happens—we learn to appreciate it, and we end up seeking it out. Coffee, dark cocoa, artichoke, beer, bitters: the most refined gastronomic cultures are recognized precisely by the quantity of bitter flavors they have transformed into pleasure. In Italy, this process has produced an entire category, that of after-dinner bitters, built on the bitter plants of each region: gentian in the Alps, cinchona in Piedmont, artichoke in Lombardy, Mediterranean herbs in the South. Cardus chooses wild thistle, Cynara cardunculus, the thorny, rough plant from which the cultivated artichoke descends, and pairs it with two fruits familiar to the South. The result is a bitter liqueur unlike any other.
 
 
 

Technical Data

• Typology: bitter
• Alcoholic content: 28% ​​vol.
• Infusion: 40 days in steel vats, followed by alcohol reduction
• Main botanicals: wild thistle, Reggio Calabria bergamot, blueberry
• Colour: classic brown
• Service temperature: cold or frozen

Organoleptic Examination

The citrus notes of bergamot first appear on the nose, lightening the herbaceous, resinous base typical of bitters. The flavor is bold and aromatic on the palate, with the bitterness of thistle slowly unfolding and the blueberry lending a fruity, slightly acidic nuance. The finish is long and dry. Serve very cold in small glasses: the cold tempers the sweetness and brings out the bitter and citrusy notes.
 
 
 

How to Best Use: Cardus Digestive Bitter

• AT THE END OF THE MEAL, ICED: as the Italian tradition of bitters dictates, served in small glasses kept in the freezer, perhaps next to a cup of Aquae 100% Arabica Decaffeinated Coffee for those who prefer to avoid caffeine in the evening.
• IN MIXING, FOR THOSE WHO LOVE BITTER COCKTAILS: dilute it with Orange juice and ice for a simple and thirst-quenching long drink, or use it as a bitter base in place of an industrial bitter in a signature cocktail.
• WITH SWEETS AND CHOCOLATE: its bitter component pairs well with cocoa desserts — try it alongside some Cocoa, Hazelnut and Pistachio Cantucci, or alternated with Bergamot Liqueur from the same producer, to compare two opposite ways of interpreting the same fruit.

The Producer: Patea Farm

The Patea Farm is located in Brancaleone, in the heart of the hundred kilometers of Ionian coast where the Reggio Calabria bergamot grows, and has been processing this fruit for three generations. Along with juices, essential oils, and derivatives, the company produces liqueurs and bitters that showcase the bergamot in various forms, always using locally sourced ingredients.
 
 
 

Information and Warnings

Bitter — 28% vol.
Ingredients: Water, alcohol, sugar, wild thistle infusion, Reggio Calabria bergamot, blueberry, natural flavors. Coloring: caramel.
 
 
 

Food container

Store in a cool, dry place, away from light, with the bottle tightly closed. Once opened, it can be refrigerated or frozen, ready to serve: at its full strength, it doesn't freeze, but rather thickens. Thanks to the alcohol content, it keeps for a long time, but to preserve its citrus notes, it's best to consume it within a few months of opening and avoid direct exposure to light.
 
 
 

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