On this trip I had a vague interest to taste local Amaros but I never really took the time to research any for the towns I was planning on visiting.

Lo! and Behold Orvieto took care of that for me! L’Orvietan is an ultra herbaceous digestivo for the end of a big meal or any meal. At least that’s how it’s used today…

In 1603 when it was first concocted it was a poison antidote, snake bites too. And if that weren’t enough it has been proven to cure love-sickness.

As the name implies it was created here in the middle of town. Its inventor was a bit of a mad man, or just plain charlatan. He used to instigate crowds imploring them to name a poison, which he would then ingest dramatically, feigning weakness and near death and then take a feeble slug of his miracle drink and he was right as rain again. And sales went through the roof!

It was a popular drink at court in Versailles, King Luis XIV was a fan. Voltaire, Dumas, Hugo as well. And now, me too.

If you look up Orvietan on Wikipedia it does list 26 of the purported herbs of the original, and one other ingredient: viper meat.