GUIDE TO AMARO

Get to know the diverse styles of those bittersweet Italian liqueurs known as Amari. 

Have you ever heard of Amaro? It’s a fantastic category of liqueurs that’s defined by its purpose of consumption rather than its production. It’s a bittersweet herbal Italian liqueur that’s a bit tricky to define. The word “amaro” means “bitter” in Italian, so the name is fitting. The best-known examples of this category come from mainland Italy and Sicily.

In Italy, eating and drinking are steeped in history and tradition, and it’s a delight to partake in. The rule is simple: start with an aperitivo before dinner, move on to wine during, and finish the meal with a glass of amaro.

Now, let me tell you, amaro is an amorphous spirit category that can be confusing for many people. But it’s an essential ingredient in classic cocktails like the Aperol Spritz, Negroni, and Americano, as well as many inventive cocktails found in countless bars across the country.

Initially, there wasn’t much demand for amaro, so there wasn’t much supply. However, as more bartenders and consumers have become interested in Amari, new producers have entered the market. As a result, the definition of amaro is expanding beyond Italy to countries like Germany, Poland, the U.S., and France.

Amaro’s history is rich in tradition and lore. Initially, they were bittersweet herbal tinctures created by medieval monks and pharmacists for their medicinal properties. Later, merchants like Salvatore Averna began commercialising them in the 1800s, and they’ve been an integral part of Italian gastronomic culture ever since.

Liqueurs like Campari and Aperol are often referred to as “bitters” in Italy, but not as Amari. Despite being very similar in make-up (bittersweet, herbal, low in alcohol), they serve quite a different purpose. Often brightly coloured, these bitters are intended to be consumed before dinner as an aperitivo to stimulate the appetite and signal the end of the day and the beginning of the night.

Most Amari are a three-pronged construction: alcohol in the base, bittering agent in the middle, and flavouring on top. Every element varies from one amaro to the next, with some made using a neutral spirit base such as beet molasses, while others have a grappa base. Many use gentian flowers or roots as the bittering agent, while others use bark, like wormwood. Producers go all out with the flavouring, incorporating as many as sixty different herbs, fruits, spices, and other ingredients into their recipes. The best way to know which one you prefer is to taste them. Here’s a rundown on some of the most popular Italian Amari.

RUCOLINO AMARO

“Rucolino” Amaro alla Rucola is made from two types of Arugula leaves along with citrus peel, herbs, and roots that grow on the island of which each give different flavour profiles to this liqueur - Riccia which has strong bitterish flavours and Vellutata with smoother flavours. Dark amber colour with citrus, cedar and caramel aromas and a bright flavour profile with a joyful bitter aftertaste.

QUINTESSENTIA AMARO NONINO

Amaro Nonino Quintessentia is an digestif amaro made in Fruili, in northern Italy. It is grappa based, and infused with a blend of many herbs, spices and roots, including gentian, saffron, liquorice, rhubarb, sweet and bitter orange, tamarind, quassia bark, chinchona bark, and galenga, among other things.

AMARO CAMATTI

Amaro Camatti is a specialty from Genoa, first crafted by pharmacist Umberto Briganti in 1923, who named it after his wife. After vanishing from the market for many years, Stefano Bergamino and Camilla Moggia from Distilleria Sangallo in Monterosso al Mare secured the rights to Amaro Camatti. They committed to preserving Umberto’s original and confidential recipe. It boasts a distinctive flavour profile of cinchona and gentian, with notes of menthol and amaretto.

DISTILLERIA ALPE AMARO

Fresh as standing in full sun on a cold winters morning. Family owned and made in small batched from about 20 locally grown herbs, roots, botanicals and flowers. The herbs are picked in the August, dried and infused with the other botanicals in pure alcohol for about a month before being redistilled. She is a minty little devil, fresh, bright and herbaceous.

AMARO “INSOLITO” FRAGRANTE

Precisely in Sorrento, Luigi was dedicated to the production of amaro, which he kept large stocks. In the shack behind the house, he holed up throughout the month of September and composed this delicacy based on aromatic herbs and various aromas including, for example, rosemary and freshly picked lemon peels, as well as obviously a secret mixture characterised by coastal herbs.