Altamura Wheat

From Bread to Vodka:
The Unexpected Story of Altamura Wheat

In Diary03/10/2025

Giovanni D'Alessandro

A fascinating look at how this iconic grain has evolved from bread-making to Premium Vodka.

Some ingredients were always destined for greatness. Altamura wheat is one of them.
For centuries, this ancient grain has been at the heart of Italy’s most cherished traditions. It has shaped the golden crusts of Pane di Altamura, filled kitchens with the scent of fresh pasta, and earned a Protected Designation of Origin (DOP) status, standing alongside some of Italy’s most celebrated exports – Parma ham, Modena balsamic, and San Marzano tomatoes. And now? It’s making vodka. The world’s finest vodka, in fact.

Altamura Wheat: A Grain Like No Other

Altamura wheat isn’t just wheat. It’s history, flavour, and craftsmanship woven into every grain. Grown in the sun-drenched fields of Puglia, it has long been prized for its rich character, high protein content, and deep, nutty flavour. Bakers have sworn by it for centuries, crafting loaves so perfect they have been protected by law since 37 BC. Yes, 37 BC.
But great ingredients don’t just stay in one lane. When a grain is this exceptional, it demands to be explored.

From the Oven to the Glasss

While Altamura wheat has been shaping Italy’s most famous bread for centuries, its full-bodied complexity and delicate sweetness make it the perfect base for something even more refined… vodka. Most vodkas are made from whatever is cheapest – corn, rye, even potatoes.

The goal? Neutrality. But Altamura Distilleries Vodka takes a different approach.

By using Altamura wheat, this vodka isn’t just smooth—it’s layered, nuanced, and impossibly elegant. It carries hints of soft grain, a whisper of sweetness, and a finish that lingers like the last light over the Puglian countryside.

The result? A vodka that doesn’t just mix. It stands on its own.

The Evolution of an Icon

From ancient ovens to modern martinis, Altamura wheat has been feeding, inspiring, and indulging generations. What started as the backbone of Italy’s most famous bread has evolved into the foundation of a vodka unlike any other. It’s smooth, complex, and deeply rooted in Italian craftsmanship.

So whether it’s baked into a loaf or poured into a glass, one thing is certain…

Altamura wheat was never meant to be ordinary.

And with Altamura Distilleries Vodka, it never will be.

Altamura Distilleries Premium Spirits

Natasha Daniels

Natasha is an award-winning scriptwriter, strategist, and digital consultant with over a decade of experience crafting compelling narratives across TV, audio, and branded content. She has worked with high-profile clients such as the BBC, Netflix, and A24, as well as luxury brands including Burberry, Gucci, and Armani.


Altamura Distilleries Premium Spirits

Queen Bee

In Mixology05/03/2024

Giovanni D'Alessandro

Altamura Distilleries Signature Cocktail

Gucci Giardino Florence

Queen Bee is inspired by life in a beehive – a group of components working cohesively, just like in a bar. The queen bee directs all the other creatures in this fantastic ecosystem, aiming to form a strong and solid structure, a perfect mechanism that renews daily. The drink features banana-infused bourbon and mango-infused vodka, different ingredients that together create harmony and body. Close your eyes, and you’ll be able to taste each element building the drink’s complexity, just as you imagined. Everything is left to rest overnight with homemade pineapple Greek yogurt, providing a velvety sensation on the palate. As in any beehive, honey and the balsamic note of propolis are essential. To complete the homey thought, a memory of the hive is created with pollen.

  • Recipe

Queen Bee


3 cl Altamura Distilleries Vodka infused with Mango

3 cl Michter’s Bourbon Whiskey infused with Banana

5 dash Propolis in alcohol solution

2,5 cl Thun Honey Millefiori

3 cl Lemon juice

Milk Washing with Pineapple Yogurt

Altamura Distilleries Premium Spirits

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Altamura Distilleries Cocktails @ Venice Cocktail Week 2023

VCW23 SIGNATURE COCKTAILS

In Mixology09/26/2023

Giovanni D'Alessandro

Altamura Distilleries

Signature Cocktails

@Venice Cocktail Week 2023

There are experiences that go far beyond simple events. Situations and places that evoke powerful emotions, capable of captivating us, enveloping us, making us feel at the center of a unique experience. Venice, with its magical autumnal atmosphere, provides the perfect backdrop for all of this during the unmissable Venice Cocktail Week 2023. Once again, Altamura Distilleries will be a key player and the Main Sponsor of the event. As always, the event is organized by Paola Mencarelli, Founder & Creative Director of VCW. It’s a week where the art of mixology meets various other arts—food, music, fashion, and the art of living well—all of which Italy and Venice are world-renowned masters.

  • ALTAMURA SIGNATURE COCKTAILS FOR VCW23

Altamura Distilleries’ Premium Vodka takes center stage in a remarkable 11 of the 31 official Signature Cocktails of VCW2023. The bartenders from Venice’s most renowned cocktail bars and hotel bars have created works of art and flavor that we are proud to present to you here.

Altamura Distilleries Premium Spirits

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Altamura Distilleries Premium Spirits

Marielle Songy | My Tales of the Cocktail Experience, 2023

Marielle Songy | My Tales of the Cocktail Experience, 2023

“Another Tales of the Cocktail is in the books; as always, it was an experience…

…Tuesday was Galatoire’s lunch day with Altamura Distilleries! This was an event I was super excited about because it isn’t every day you get to have a fancy lunch at a New Orleans restaurant with tasty martinis provided by an incredible brand.

Altamura Distilleries Premium Spirits
Altamura Distilleries Premium Spirits

The meal included delicious appetizers, Turtle Soup, Sauteed Gulf Fish with Crab Meuniere, and Bread Pudding for dessert.

Altamura kept the cocktails coming including, Prosecco and Altea Martini, Maize Martini, and Espresso Nuttiny served with dessert. Halfway through, owner Frank Grillo was presented with the New Orleans Spirits Competition for Best International Vodka.

Very exciting!

Read the Original Post written by Marielle Songy on her Blog

Original Post
08/04/2023

Giovanni D'Alessandro

“Another Tales of the Cocktail is in the books; as always, it was an experience…

 

…Tuesday was Galatoire’s lunch day with Altamura Distilleries! This was an event I was super excited about because it isn’t every day you get to have a fancy lunch at a New Orleans restaurant with tasty martinis provided by an incredible brand.

The meal included delicious appetizers, Turtle Soup, Sauteed Gulf Fish with Crab Meuniere, and Bread Pudding for dessert.

Altamura kept the cocktails coming including, Prosecco and Altea Martini, Maize Martini, and Espresso Nuttiny served with dessert. Halfway through, owner Frank Grillo was presented with the New Orleans Spirits Competition for Best International Vodka.

Very exciting!

Altamura Distilleries Premium Spirits

Altamura Distilleries Premium Spirits

What's for Dinner? | Elizabeth Drinks (and eats) in NOLA

08/04/2023

Giovanni D'Alessandro

RECAP: TALES OF THE COCKTAIL IN NEW ORLEANS

…Of particular note was Lunch at Galatoire’s. Friday afternoon lunch at Galatoire’s is a THING, and my favorite lunch ritual. This time it was a Three- Martini Lunch event for TOTC, instead of the traditional Milk Punch Lunch, but just as good!

It was hosted by Frank Grillo, an American who moved to Italy and discovered Altamura bread. The bread was so much better than any other bread that he had experienced that he thought, “what would happen if I used the grain to make a spirit instead of bread?” and he did it.

The lunch at Galatoire’s celebrated Frank Grillo’s birthday—which had been his birthday tradition for 16 years—and the launch of Altamura Vodka. The vodka is made in Apulia using the same 2000 year-old ancient-wheat grain that is used to bake the famous Pane di Altamura. The vodka is still in its infancy, and has already racked up the awards, including the Best in Category for International Vodka at the 2023 NOLA Spirits Competition. If you are a vodka drinker, this one’s for you!

Read the Original Post written by Anthony Underwood & Elizabeth Karmel su Whats4Dinner.com

Altamura Distilleries Premium Spirits

The Cloud by Giacomo Giannotti

The Cloud

In Mixology07/20/2023

Giovanni D'Alessandro

Altamura Distilleries Signature Cocktail #FCW2023

by Giacomo Giannotti - Paradiso Barcelona

A special evening during the Florence Cocktail Week 2023, featuring an exceptional protagonist, a unique signature cocktail and an amazing pool of guests and other top mixologists, all brought together for one unforgettable night. Altamura Distilleries, the Four Seasons Hotel Florence, and Paola Mencarelli made all of this possible, and “The Cloud” was the cocktail that astonished everyone throughout the evening. The Atrium Bar and its host, Edoardo Sandri, warmly welcomed Giacomo Giannotti and his wife Margarita Sader, who perfectly represented the “name” of the world’s number one Cocktail bar, Paradiso Barcelona. And to conclude this magical evening in the best possible way… “The Maestro” Salvatore Calabrese.

  • Recipe

The Cloud


Altamura Distilleries Vodka

Mezcal infused Hibiscus and Llinen Seeds

Amaro Montenegro

Spanish Piparras

Soda Water

XIlitol Cordial

Altamura Distilleries Premium Spirits

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The Spirit Business | Altamura appoints UK distributor

07/19/2023

Giovanni D'Alessandro

Drinks One has been named as the exclusive distributor of Altamura Distilleries in the UK, and will introduce the producer’s premium vodka to the market from July.

Mike Beavan, Nick Worthington and James Shelbourne, founders of Drinks One Distribution, commented: “We are delighted to be the chosen distributor of Altamura Vodka in the UK. This presents a tremendous opportunity for both parties.

“It’s unique qualities and focus on the premium sector perfectly align with our distribution expertise. We are excited to introduce this exceptional spirit to the discerning UK market.”

Read the Original Article by Georgie Collins on thespiritbusiness.com

Delhi 6

Altamura Distilleries Premium Spirits

Viaggio nel Bel Paese

In Mixology07/05/2023

Giovanni D'Alessandro

Altamura Distilleries Signature Cocktail #CLCW2023

@Ristorante da Pietro

Viaggio nel Bel Paese is a true and passionate ode to our unique Country… Italy! Our cuisine, our landscapes, our traditions, our lifestyle and the way we share our emotions are enclosed in a journey of flavors. A very special Signature Cocktail made in the hearth of Como, just in front of the Duomo, with an excellent food pairing by Sedat Aydilek, Chef at Ristorante da Pietro. Viaggio nel Bel Paese has achieved the second position in the contest “Best Cocktail on the Lake” within the fourth edition of the Como Lake Cocktail Week.

  • Recipe

Viaggio nel Bel Paese


Altamura Distilleries Vodka

Italian Aperitif

Turin Red Vermouth

Shrub yellow Cilento tomato and basil

Altamura Distilleries Premium Spirits

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Furèst Signature Cocktail

Furèst

In Mixology07/05/2023

Giovanni D'Alessandro

"Critics Award" winner - Como Lake Cocktail Week 2023

Furèst, a cocktail crafted between experiences and laughter. Francesco Murano and Federico Manzi created this Signature Cocktail at Krudo Cocktail Bar to represent Altamura Distilleries during the Como Lake Cocktail Week 2023. Perfect also in it’s mocktail version, made with Mango Cordial and Herbal tonic Limestone. Furèst won the Critics Award – Premio della Critica – of the Como Lake Cocktail Week 2023.

  • Recipe

Furèst


Altamura Distilleries Vodka

Fat wash with EVO oil from Lake Como

Fennel extract

Mango cordial

Fennel seed tincture

Salt

Soda

Altamura Distilleries Premium Spirits

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Dark Truth

Dark Truth

In Mixology06/29/2023

Giovanni D'Alessandro

Altamura Distilleries Signature Cocktail #FCW23

@Moebius Milano

An amazing night with Altamura Distilleries, Moebius Milano and, from New Delhi, two very notorious venues: Sidecar and Home Delhi, for a Guest Shift with Apoorva Kohli and Santanu Chanda. For this special night in Milan Santanu made the Signature Cocktail Dark Truth. Winner of multiple prestigious mixology competitions around the world, Santanu is a new great friend of Altamura Distilleries.

 

  • Recipe

Dark Truth


Altamura Distilleries Vodka

Coffee Liqueur

Espresso Coffee

Passion Fruit

Altamura Distilleries Premium Spirits

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