An Italian medicinal tonic called Ferro China Amaro originated in the late 1800s and contained cinchona bark ("china") and iron citrate ("ferro") to treat malaria. It was created by Dr. Ernesto Baliva in 1894 and was produced and exported internationally. Ferro China tonics became popular health drinks but declined after World War II as suntanning became trendy. Today there is only one brand of Ferro China Amaro still produced in Italy.

1. with
Philip Duff & Tom Richter
powered by
The Cinchona Chronicles
@philipduff @fcbaliva @Tomr_Richter @tomrstonic
@philipsduff @ferrochinabaliva @richter.tom @tomrstonic

2. 2

3. CINCHONA
TREE
3

4. 4

5. • China / China bark
• Quina-quina
• Jesuit's bark / Jesuit's
powder
• Fever tree
• Calisaya

6. 6

7. 7

8. Quinine benefits
TREATS MALARIA
KILLS PARASITES
REDUCES FEVER
REGULATES HEARTBEAT
CALMS NERVES
STIMULATES DIGESTION
KILLS GERMS
REDUCES SPASMS
KILLS INSECTS
RELIEVES PAIN
KILLS BACTERIA AND FUNGI
8

9. PHOSPHORESCENT
9

10. 1
0

11. Countess of
Chinchón
DOÑA
FRANCISCA
ENRIQUEZ
DE RIVERA
VIRREYNA
DEL PERU
1
1

12. 1
2

13. 13

14. CinchonaCinchonaCinchonaCinchona ---- “china”“china”“china”“china”
C. Ledgeriana or c. succirubra
1638: First used as anti-malarial in it's native Peru
1640: First used in Europe; Jesuits, popes, royals
1820: Antimalarial quinine isolated
Mid-1800s: Dutch & UK smuggle seeds to Java & Ceylon
1918: Dutch near-monopoly, but then WWI & WWII
1944: Quinine synthesized
2016: - Africa now world's largest producer

15. Amaro: EU 110 / 2008
“Bitter-tasting spirit drinks or bitter
(a) Bitter-tasting spirit drinks or bitter are spirit drinks with a
predominantly bitter taste.”
(b) The minimum alcoholic strength by volume of bitter-tasting
spirit drinks or bitter shall be 15 %.
(c) Bitter tasting spirit drinks or bitter may also be sold under the
names ‘amer’ or ‘bitter’ with or without another term.”

16. Amaro: EU 110 / 2008

17. Amaro: EU 110 / 2008
Geographical protections for bitter-tasting
spirit drinks
Demänovka bylinná horká, Slovakia
Rheinberger Kräuter, Germany
Trejos devynerios, Lithuania
Slovenska travarica, Slovenia

18. Amari, esp. china
elixirs
Cinchona - “china”

19. Amari, esp. china
elixirs
Vermouth (1786)
Cinchona - “china”

20. Cinchona - “china”
Amari, esp. china elixirs
Vermouth, quinquina

21. Amari, esp. china
elixirs
Vermouth,
quinquina
Cinchona - “china”

22. Amari, esp. china elixirs
Vermouth, quinquina
Quinquina: EU 1601/91
“Bitter aromatized wine with
quinine”
Cinchona - “china”

23. Amari, esp. china elixirs
Vermouth, quinquina
Hercules
Cinchona - “china”

24. Amari, esp. china elixirs
Vermouth, quinquina
Hercules
Caperitif (but its vermouth!)
Cinchona - “china”

25. Amari, esp. china elixirs
Vermouth, quinquina
TonicTonicTonicTonic waterwaterwaterwater 1825 on1825 on1825 on1825 on –––– English in IndiaEnglish in IndiaEnglish in IndiaEnglish in India

26. Amari, esp. china elixirs
Vermouth, quinquina
Tonic waterTonic waterTonic waterTonic water 1825 on1825 on1825 on1825 on –––– English in IndiaEnglish in IndiaEnglish in IndiaEnglish in India
1858185818581858 –––– ErasmusErasmusErasmusErasmus Bond, LondonBond, LondonBond, LondonBond, London

27. Spain GINTONIC
27

28. Amari, esp. china elixirs
Vermouth, quinquina, americano
Tonic water
Bitter lemonBitter lemonBitter lemonBitter lemon

29. Amari, esp. china elixirs
Vermouth, quinquina, americano
Tonic water
Bitter lemon
Irn BruIrn BruIrn BruIrn Bru

30. Amaro (a bitter spirit drink, so not a quinquina),
containing cinchona (“china”“china”“china”“china”)
and
iron citrate (“ferro”“ferro”“ferro”“ferro”),
min. 15% ABV (30 proof).
Ferro China AmaroFerro China AmaroFerro China AmaroFerro China Amaro

31. Just to get things straight...
NonNonNonNon----alcoholicalcoholicalcoholicalcoholic AlcoholicAlcoholicAlcoholicAlcoholic Wine basedWine basedWine basedWine based Spirit basedSpirit basedSpirit basedSpirit based Has quinine?Has quinine?Has quinine?Has quinine? Has iron citrate?Has iron citrate?Has iron citrate?Has iron citrate?
Tonic waterTonic waterTonic waterTonic water X X
Irn BruIrn BruIrn BruIrn Bru X X X
VermouthVermouthVermouthVermouth X X
QuinquinaQuinquinaQuinquinaQuinquina X X X
China elixirChina elixirChina elixirChina elixir X X X
Ferro chinaFerro chinaFerro chinaFerro china X X X X
Ferro China AmaroFerro China AmaroFerro China AmaroFerro China Amaro

32. So how, when & why did the Ferro China Category come to exist?
Why in Italy?
And why is there only one brand in Italy left?
Ferro China AmaroFerro China AmaroFerro China AmaroFerro China Amaro

33. Tons Of Crazy, Shady Stuff
Strychnine, strychnos nux-vomica tree
Cocaine, paper by Paolo Mantegazza,
professor in Milan (1860)
China Marziale – china + nux vomica
+ cocaine

34. 1863: Vin Mariani,
French-Corsican Angelo Mariani
6mg to 7.2mg cocaine extract/oz.
Fans: Queen Victoria, Thomas
Edison
Vatican gold medal from Pope
Leo XIII
Tons Of Crazy, Shady Stuff

35. - 1863: Vin Mariani
- Inspired Coca-Cola (1885)
Tons Of Crazy, Shady Stuff

38. Korea declares independence from
China.
International Olympic Committee
founded.
State of New York enacts first dog-
licensing law.
Both Baliva and Bisleri brands of ferro
china born - the first entirely Italian
health tonic brands
1894189418941894

39. Dr. Ernesto Baliva
Born 1863
Graduated medical school 1880s
Worked Red Cross, battling malaria in
south Italy
Worked Farmacia Langeli, licensed to
import china since 1838
Created Ferro China Baliva 1894,
outsourced production to Pompilio
Benedetti & received royalties.
Benedetti exported to US during
Prohibition as “medicinal alcohol”

40. Adults: a shot before dinner,
also as aperitif
Children: a spoon before bed,
or whipped into an egg yolk
Ferro China Baliva

41. PRODUCTION PROCESS

42. Every distilling manual 1850-1900 had FC recipes
Exports to the Americas, Asia, India
-
The Ferro China Craze

43. The Argentina Connection
-
Ferrocarril (Railway)Ferrocarril (Railway)Ferrocarril (Railway)Ferrocarril (Railway)
1 part ferro china
1 part Pineral
1 part vermouth
1 dash maraschino liqueur
1 dash grenadine syrup
Shake with ice
Strain into cocktail coupe

44. @philipduff @saperebere #IronAmaro #TOTC2016
Then Suntans Became Popular...
1922: Fascists valued suntans & healthiness (“workers”)
1923: Coco Chanel, Josephine Baker

45. @philipduff @saperebere #IronAmaro #TOTC2016
1914: Slight Interruption To Our Scheduled Programming

46. @philipduff @saperebere #IronAmaro #TOTC2016
1939: ...And Again.

47. with
Philip Duff & Tom Richter
powered by
The Cinchona Chronicles
@philipduff @fcbaliva @Tomr_Richter @tomrstonic
@philipsduff @ferrochinabaliva @richter.tom @tomrstonic

48. Thank you for your attention!
This slide deck: www.slideshare.net/philipduff
Philip Duff: philip@liquidsolutions.org
Tom Richter: tr@tomshandcrafted.com
Corey Galotta, Castle Brands, for Ferro China Baliva:
cgalotta@castlebrandsinc.com