Arquebuse or Alpestre

This liquor can be called both "alpestre" and "arquebuse": the only difference is that the first name is used in Piedmont, while the second is used both in Piedmont and in France.
Without a doubt, the original product comes from France and, more precisely, from the area Lyon-Rhone Alpes and probably dates back to the end of the 18th century. Moreover, it seems that the product was born in monasteries. As it often happens, the meaning of the term has several explanations: because it was used to treat harquebus injuries or because, if you drunk it alone, it seemed to be hit by an harquebus arrow in the stomach - which is natural, given the alcohol content and the lack of sugar.

According to the tradition, the recipe includes 33-34 herbs: among them wormwood, verbena, mint, sage, valerian, toothcarp, camomile, lemon, arnica, gentian, hyssop, tansy (called in the local dialect "Arquibus herb").
Some of these herbs are used dry, while others are used when they are fresh. The processing consists of maceration of the herbs in the alcohol and in the distillation of the liquid obtained. The product improves with a long ageing stage in oak barrels, giving the liquor a straw-yellow color.
No sugar is added. Alcohol content 45%.

• Production Area: The production interested the whole region, in particular the area of Carmagnola (Turin). Today the production companies are situated in the Provinces of Turin and Cuneo.
  
  
• Legislative Protection: Arquebuse is classified among the "Traditional Agri-foodstuffs of Regione Piemonte", according to art. 8 of the Legislative Decree 30th April 1998, n. 173 and the Annex to the Decisions of the Regional Council 15th April 2002 n. 46-5823.

Producers

Agriturismo Siburgh di Cesan Valter

Others

Distilleria Albergian

Others

Distilleria Bordiga

Others

Italiana Alpestre

Others

Liquoreria Leone Giorgio

Others

Liquorificio Merlat

Others