Amaro Hàntak is a tribute to Lessinia
Twenty botanicals to exorcise such a bitter year, twenty-twenty.
Born in Lessinia
If you’re wondering what Hàntak means, know that in the language of the Cimbri, the Tauç, means Bitter. It is artisanal and produced using botanicals that grow in Lessinia, an expanse of land northeast of Verona, where this nearly lost language has been passed down from generation to generation since the early centuries after the year one thousand, when this people, after a long journey, arrived from the southern lands of Germany.
Is there really a need for an amaro to exorcise such a bitter twenty-twenty?
Hàntak is an elixir of medicinal herbs, some of which have been surrounded by an aura of magic since ancient times; it was born in Lessinia as a tribute to this land, its culture and traditions, and its folklore.
Botanicals
At the first sip, you will be struck by strong balsamic and herbal notes, while a pleasant bitter sensation envelops you, released by Rue and Linden, two of the twenty botanicals that make up this almost magical potion.
In ancient popular beliefs, Rue was used to exorcise and drive away witches and evil spirits. In Lessinia, it was known both to the Cimbri and to the Prete da Sprea, who cultivated it in his Herbarium and used it as a remedy for certain ailments.
Witches and Filò
In the filò ritual, a moment of sharing among the Cimbri people held in stables to benefit from the warmth of the animals, stories were told of fantastical beings born from superstition and folklore, such as witches, fairies, anguane, ogres, and basilisks.
While women spun wool, it was customary to orally pass down this collective memory to the younger ones, narrating tales that often featured the streghe (witches), or as the Cimbri called them, maraschan.
Chi siamo
It may seem like a simple matter of numbers, but it is said that the Cimbri only counted on their fingers and used cardinal numbers only up to four. Hence, Viere (four) and Hänte (hands) to indicate the number twenty. The four hands of two friends who, after the year twenty-twenty, decided to re-enter the game by dividing themselves in four parts to encapsulate the history and culture of Lessinia in a bottle.
Ponte di Veja
Where is the witch stealthily walking in the illustration? On the largest natural bridge in Europe, a geological monument of Lessinia, the Ponte di Veja. A place rich in history, charm, and mystery: used by humans as a natural shelter in the Paleolithic, this marvel of nature has inspired many artists, including Mantegna, and even the great poet Dante is said to have mentioned it in his Divine Comedy, as the entrance to Malebolge.
Contacts
© AMARO HÀNTAK. VIERE HANTE SRLS