Galliano is a sweet herbal liqueur created in 1896 by Italian distiller and brandy producer Arturo Vaccari of Livorno.
Liquore Galliano L'Autentico, known more commonly as Galliano, is a sweet herbal liqueur created in 1896 by Italian distiller and brandy producer Arturo Vaccari of Livorno, Tuscany. Vaccari named the spirit after Giuseppe Galliano, an Italian hero of the First Italo–Ethiopian War at the end of the 19th century. Its vivid yellow color, currently derived from tartrazine (a lemon-yellow azo dye), symbolized the Gold Rushes of the 1890s.
Galliano has been formulated at both 60 proof (30% by volume) and 84.6 proof (42.3% by volume). The latter strength is the original recipe, as well as the recipe currently in use. The sweeter 60 proof version is being phased out. Among its approximately 30 herbal ingredients are star anise, Mediterranean anise, ginger, and citrus and vanilla.
Galliano has a similar appearance to Strega, another Italian herbal liqueur. Galliano is sweet and has a complex, vanilla-anise flavor with subtle citrus and woodsy herbal under notes. It is used both as a digestif (meant for drinking after heavy meals), and as an ingredient for cocktails, most notably the Harvey Wallbanger.
The vanilla top note differentiates Galliano from other anise-flavored liqueurs such as Sambuca, Pernod, or Anisette. Galliano is produced by first infusing grain-neutral alcohol with the herbal flavoring agents, distilling the liquid, and then infusing with pressed vanilla. In the final production stage, the vanilla-herb base infusion is blended with distilled water, refined sugar and pure neutral alcohol.
The Galliano brand is currently owned by Dutch distiller Lucas Bols, and marketed through its worldwide distribution joint venture, Galliano is packaged in a distinctively-shaped bottle, which is reminiscent of a classical Roman column. Several other liqueurs are also produced under the Galliano brand name, including a black Sambuca, a white Sambuca and an amaretto, which are predominantly distributed in Australasia,[3] where the products are popular as shooters. Galliano also makes Galliano Ristretto coffee flavored liqueur and Galliano Balsamico, presumably a balsamic vinegar infused liqueur.
Galliano is the key ingredient of the Harvey Wallbanger. Because of this, popular drinks made with a float of Galliano often include the words "wall" and/or "bang" in their names. An example of this is the Hillary Wallbanger, a white wine–based version of the Harvey Wallbanger.
Galliano is also a key ingredient in mixed cocktails such as the Yellow Bird, Golden Cadillac, Golden Dream, Bon Voyage, Sailor Venus, and Flaming Lamborghini.
