The name on everybody’s lips is amaro — and if it’s not, maybe it should be. This category of herbal liqueurs can be as divisive as it is diverse. Famously bitter, with complex, often mysterious botanical flavors, the barrier to entry can feel high and confusing for new drinkers.
So what exactly is amaro? Simply put, it’s a catch-all term – amaro is Italian for “bitter” – for bittersweet Italian liqueurs that are often enjoyed after a meal as a digestif. However, the label “amaro” is also used casually to describe similar products made outside Italy. There are hundreds of different amari, each with their own unique regional flair. Amaro is traditionally made by infusing grape brandy with a mix of herbs, flowers, aromatic bark, citrus and spices. These blends are often kept intentionally mysterious and can include anything from cardamom to elderberry flowers to artichokes. Amaro is aged, sometimes for years, after the addition of sugar syrup to sweeten the drink.
Silky and aromatically complex, amaro has become a fascination – an obsession even – with increasing numbers of American bartenders. If spritz fever took over your summer and you’re wondering what’s next, or you’ve become intrigued by the amari at your local bottle shop but wonder, “What the heck am I supposed to do with this, exactly?” we’ve got some recommendations to turn you into an amari-head in no time.
If you already like an Aperol spritz, try…
Select Spritz
Select Aperitivo is commonly served in Venice with prosecco and soda water as the Original Venetian Spritz. It’s similar in style to Aperol, with a brilliant raspberry color. Both are low in alcohol, with comparable base flavors like dried orange and rhubarb, but Select offers more complex flavor from an infusion of 30 botanicals. It’s the perfect middle ground for a drinker seeking something a bit less sweet and simple than Aperol, but less harshly bitter than Campari.
If you want to keep it simple…
Contratto Aperitif on ice
Another easy transition for Aperol spritz lovers is the delicious Contratto Aperitif. It’s sweeter and smoother than most amari, with a very gentle bitterness and tons of orange blossom, rhubarb and stone fruit on the nose. If you ask amaro fans how to use your shiny new bottle, most will – perhaps annoyingly – tell you to simply drink it. But that’s exactly what you should do with Contratto Aperitif: Pour a few ounces over ice, sip and enjoy.
If you’re a whiskey sour drinker looking to get a little weird…
Cynar 70 Sour
There’s an entire category of carciofo – that’s Italian for “artichoke” – amari made with artichoke leaves, herbs and barks. Cynar is the most ubiquitous example, and Cynar 70 is a higher-proof version with heightened bitterness and notes of menthol, eucalyptus, licorice root, sage and, of course, artichoke. Order one of these bad boys at Stews Food & Liquor in Soulard and they’ll know you know your stuff. Make your own at home with 2 ounces Cynar 70, 1/4 ounce maraschino liqueur, 1 ounce fresh lemon juice and 1/4 ounce agave syrup. Add all your ingredients to a cocktail shaker with ice and shake until chilled. Ambitious home bartenders can add an egg white before shaking for that dreamy, creamy cap.
If you’re looking to skip the booze…
Giffard Aperitif Syrup Spritz
This non-alcoholic aperitif syrup shouldn’t merely be discounted as a substitute for Campari. It’s rich, gorgeously red and sweet, with surprising savory notes evocative of pepper jelly. It drinks beautifully with club soda and a twist of orange, in a faux-groni, or just as a way to lighten up your regular cocktail routine.
If you’re ready to spice up your espresso martini…
Cocchi Dopo Teatro Espresso Martini
Espresso martinis have had us in a chokehold for the last four years – upgrade yours with a dash of this vermouth amaro with gorgeous dark cherry flavor and a fortified red wine base. Add a twist of lemon for brightness.
If you’re on the hunt for a Chartreuse replacement…
Boomsma Cloosterbitter
Chartreuse, an herbal liqueur developed and produced by French Carthusian monks since the 18th century, has famously been in short supply since the craft cocktail boom of the 2010s sparked a wave of fresh demand. If you love a Last Word cocktail, leave those monks be and sub in Boomsma Cloosterbitter, an herbal Dutch genepy (an absinthe-like, alpine aperitif in the amaro family) with more sweetness and anise notes than Chartreuse.
If you’re craving a post-meal treat…
J. Rieger Caffè Amaro
Kansas City’s very own J. Rieger & Co. produces this one-of-a-kind take on coffee liqueur in collaboration with KC-based coffee roasters Thou Mayest. The single-origin coffee roast they use is chosen specifically to work in tandem with its botanical flavors. Briefly aged in whiskey barrels, resulting in a rich, bittersweet flavor, it works equally well tipped into a cocktail, poured over ice cream, or sipped solo as an after-dinner palate cleanser.