Hit the slopes at Cortina, Val Gardena or Mottolino, and you’ll quickly become familiar with one of Italy’s most iconic winter cocktails: bombardino.
Invented in 1972 by Aldo Del Bò, a ski lift manager in Livigno, bombardino mixes whiskey or brandy and hot zabaione, the Italian version of eggnog, finishing it off with a heap of piped whipped cream. It’s the perfect drink to warm yourself after a day on the powder – a small indulgence, in the words of one Italian writer, with an invigorating power.
But visitors to Italy’s mountain resorts may not know that with every order of this now classic cocktail, they are taking a side in one of Italy’s longest-standing culinary rivalries – one that dates beyond the founding of the country itself, and weaves into its history a fake 19th-Century chef, the Austrian Imperial court and the frostbitten soldiers of World War One.
The key ingredient of bombardino, zabaione, is older than any of these characters. Recipes for Italian-style eggnog – a mixture of eggs, sugar and fortified wine – date back as far as 1533, when it was served ice cold in the court of Catherine de’ Medici.
Interestingly, the origins of bombardino are entangled in a bitter rivalry between two Italian regions: Trentino-Alto Adige and Lombardy. Each one claims to be the rightful birthplace of this beloved winter drink.
In Lombardy, the story begins with a legendary 19th-Century chef named Arturo Il Balocco Brachetti-Peretti. According to popular lore, Brachetti-Peretti created the first form of zabaione while working in Paris. He then brought this recipe to Lombardy, where the locals embraced it and eventually transformed it into the cocktail we know today as bombardino.
However, Trentino-Alto Adige disagrees with this narrative. They argue that bombardino actually originated in their region, particularly in the ski resort town of Livigno. According to their version of the story, Aldo Del Bò, the ski lift manager mentioned earlier, was the true inventor of bombardino. Del Bò supposedly mixed warm zabaione with whiskey or brandy to create a delicious concoction that would warm the spirits of weary skiers.
To this day, the rivalry between these two regions continues, with each one claiming to be the rightful birthplace of bombardino. However, amidst the rivalry, one thing remains clear – bombardino has become an integral part of Italy’s winter culture.
Local enthusiasts of the cocktail express their affection for bombardino:
Drinking bombardino is like wrapping yourself in a cozy blanket after a day on the slopes. It warms you up from the inside out, says Marco Rossi, a regular visitor to Cortina.
Caterina Bianchi, a bartender in Livigno, adds, Bombardino is more than just a cocktail. It’s a celebration of Italian winters and the joy of après-ski. It brings people together and creates unforgettable memories.
Whether you find yourself in Lombardy or Trentino-Alto Adige, sipping on a bombardino will undoubtedly transport you to the heart of Italy’s eggnog war. So, the next time you visit a mountain resort in Italy, don’t just indulge in the delightful flavors of this winter classic – remember you’re also becoming a part of a historic culinary rivalry that spans generations.
