Poli Airone Rosso Aperitivo

Whether an aperitif strictly speaking comes under the category of Good Gear is debatable, but when randomly scouring the shelves of my local bottle shop recently, my gaze locked upon a slender clear glass bottle full of bright red liquid. It wasn’t the liquid that actually stopped me, but the label, which bore an illustration of a Moto Guzzi Airone, a machine close to my heart since I own one, which currently resides in the living room. There had to be an explanation, and there was on the label on the rear. Here’s what it says. “Toni Poli had a dream, that finally came true; in 1951 he got on his Moto Guzzi 250cc Airone Sport motorcycle and reached the North Cape. After 10,000km of adventures he returned home. The party in his home town began with an aperitif, red like the Airone, created for the occasion.” And I should think so. It’s not every day one rides an Airone from Verona to the northernmost tip of Norway and back, and nearly seventy years ago that must have been quite a challenge. During our recent heatwave I broke out the Airone Rosso, and served simply with ice and soda water with a twist of lemon, it makes a most refreshing drink, similar to Campari. Should you feel the need to try for yourself, it is available from Amatos Liquor Market, Leichhardt NSW, and imported by Negociants Australia Ltd., 205 Grote St Adelaide SA 5000.