Frangelico

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The distinctive Frangelico bottle. It is designed to resemble a friar in his habit; note the rope tied around the bottle's "waist."

Frangelico is a hazelnut and herb-flavored liqueur (coloured with caramel coloring) which is produced in Canale, Italy. It is 24% alcohol by volume, 48 proof. It was released in the 1980s, gaining attention largely because of its unusual packaging: its bottle was designed to look like a friar, complete with a real knotted white cord around the waist. It is most commonly sold in two sizes: 750ml and 375ml

Frangelico can be used to make many different cocktails, such as the Hazelnut Martini, the Frangelico Colada, and Frangelico and Cranberry Juice. For a quick and easy drink, it can be served on ice, with soda water, or with coffee.

The origins of Frangelico date back more than 300 years to the existence of early Christian monks living in the hills of Northern Italy. According to Barbero, the manufacturer in Italy, the name of the liqueur is based on a legend of a hermit named Fra. Angelico who "created unique recipes for liqueurs." However, the bottle itself most closely resembles the habit of a Franciscan friar, while the liqueur's likely namesake, the famous painter Fra Angelico (d.1455), was a Dominican, whose robe would have been white and without the cincture.

Frangelico is made in a similar manner to some other nut liqueurs: nuts are crumbled up and combined with cocoa, vanilla berries, and other natural flavors, and then left to soak in the base spirit. After the spirit has absorbed the flavor of the ingredients, the liqueur is filtered, sweetened, and bottled.