CHILLED 100 bartenders were treated to sips of the divinely delicious Chinola Passion Fruit Liqueur while learning about the sustainability behind the brand from Chinola co-founder Robert Pallone, in Louisville, Kentucky at the inaugural ELEVATE event. Sharing the story behind the brand, Robert emphasized the importance of sustainability–not just from the vantage point of developing the liqueur, but also for residents of the community where Chinola produces the brand.
Chinola is a creative collaboration of beverage and spirits industry professionals and a multi-generational master blender. The founders’ dream of creating an old-world style liqueur from fresh fruit – a dream that came to life in the Dominican Republic. In 2013, they discovered the magical taste of the Dominican passion fruit known locally as Chinola. The fruit’s unique tartness balances perfectly with a natural sweetness and tropical essence ideal for creating fabulous cocktails.
Inspired by their discovery, the team solidified their ultimate goal of crafting an authentic liqueur with the fresh aromatic fragrance and taste profile of raw passion fruit. They chose to name the liqueur for the fruit that brought their dream to life.
The team spent three years with a botanist to develop the right varietals with for the ideal taste and aromatic profile. Staying close to the fruit’s origin, Chinola chose Valle De Chinola, an estate-planned passion fruit farm in Samana on the north coast of the Dominican Republic. The company supports the local community by sharing knowledge and training resources while creating jobs. By living within nature and practicing organic and sustainable agricultural practices, environmental sustainability is accomplished. Further sustainability efforts include using local resources for construction materials, soil preparation and organic nutrients. Their commitment to sustainability is evident in the practice of organic and sustainable agricultural.
Robert also explained the company’s adaptation of a 2,000-year-old practice known as Biochar. This production converts agricultural waste into a soil enhancer that can hold carbon, boost food security, and discourage deforestation. The process creates a fine-grained, highly porous charcoal that helps soils retain nutrients and water. “We are committed to helping the environment by compensating for 100% of our CO2 emissions for a neutral carbon footprint,” says Robert.
CHILLED 100 bartenders in attendance shared their experiences incorporating the Chinola Passion Fruit Liqueur into the cocktails they create for their bars. It’s clear the brand is growing in popularity across the country.
As attendees sipped the delicious spirit, Robert shared a few cocktail ideas and recipes including a Chinola Daiquiri – a mix of rum, lime juice, simple syrup and Chinola Passion Fruit. He also revealed the recipe for Passionstar Martini – also known as Pornstar. Comprised of Chinola, vanilla vodka, lime juice, simple syrup shaken with ice, double strained into a chilled Martini glass and garnished with a shot of champagne or cava on the side, it’s the brand’s most popular cocktail globally and the United Kingdom’s favorite cocktail of the 21st century. Cheers to sustainability and delicious cocktail passion.
