
Did you ever look at a loaf of bread and see a bottle of vodka waiting to happen? Our guest did, and now that bread has become the vodka that took Venice Cocktail Week and now the rest of the world by storm.
Frank Grillo, the co-founder of Altamura Distilleries, wasn’t just looking at any old slice of bread when he saw a bottle of vodka, but one he had made with Altamura wheat.
If you haven’t already heard of Pane di Altamura, as it’s called in Italian, you have been missing something special. They’ve been talking about it for centuries. Even Horace, the classical writer, said it was the best bread in the world, and that was in the 1st century AD.
Pane di Altamura is an Italian bread from the Altamura area of Puglia, Italy. In 2003, Pane di Altamura was granted PDO status in Europe, which means that for it to be called Pane di Altamura, it must be made in a heavily regulated way. As I said, this is not just your supermarket bread.
In turn, Frank’s Altamura Vodka is not just your regular run-of-the-mill vodka but one made with this very special wheat. How did he come by this bread living in Atlanta? Well, I’ll let him tell you that story!
Watch it on YouTube
Cocktail of the Week: Seven Pillars!
Our Cocktail of the week was created by Antonio and his team at the Aman Venice, especially for Altamura Vodka.

Altamura Seven Pillars
Created by Antonio Ferrara and his team at the Aman Hotel Venice! A combination of Altamura Vodka, Select, & Fig Liqueur make it unforgettable. Gorgeous photo by my friend Martino Dini @martino.dini
Ingredients
- 40ml Altamura Distilleries Vodka
- 40ml Fig Liqueur
- 20mll Select
- Dried Tarragon & dried fig
Instructions
- Rim half of the an Old Fashioned with dried Tarragon
- Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass
- Add ice
- Stir, stir, stir
- Strain it into the Old Fashioned glass with ice
- Garnish with a dried Fig
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
1Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 259Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 6mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 2gSugar: 24gProtein: 1g
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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