I’ve mentioned amaro in (I think) at least half of the posts on this blog in some form or fashion (and even more on Instagram). Usually, that’s been Campari and (more recently) Cynar. But, it’s a massive, ill-defined category that I want to have a much better understanding of despite starting to try more in my “research.”
So, over the past few weeks, I’ve been reading through the history, stories, profiles, and recipes in Brad Thomas Parsons‘ Amaro: The Spirited World of Bittersweet, Herbal Liqueurs, with Cocktails, Recipes, and Formulas.I highly recommend the book if you really want to dive into this crazy category!
What Is Amaro?
This is a surprisingly difficult question to answer, since amaro just means “bitter” in Italian and can generally refer to any bitter alcohol. Amaro seems to be distinguished as much by what it isn’t than what it is: it’s not grape-based like vermouth and doesn’t just distill botanticals/flavoring agents with grain like gin does.
The details outside of this generally include maceration of herbs and botanicals, sweetening, and some kind of aging process, but vary significantly in what’s used in what quantities for how long. Whether or not you consider a bitter liqueur produced outside of Italy and amaro hinges mostly on whether or not you’re Italian, so I don’t subscribe to that limitation (though attempts to DOC-ify the category may not give me a choice soon).
It’s difficult to be more specific in definition than this because so much amaro is so old and so protected; like vermouth, the recipes for the big brands are closely-guarded trade secrets and vary greatly from producer to producer, let alone region to region. If a recipe simply calls for amaro, expect significantly different results any time you grab a different bottle. It’s like the effect of using different gins on steroids.
Overall, though, I do think it’s helpful to think of amaro as two distinct categories: aperitifs and digestifs. Italians will tell you that each of these serves a specific purpose (apertif to prime the stomach for food and digestif to aid in digestion), but the science doesn’t really support this assertion. It’s all the same idea. That said, the uses and appearance of each tend to be unique enough to warrant practical separation.
Aperitifs
If it’s bright red and marketed aggressively by the Campari Group, it’s probably an aperitif which is also a bitter (another distinction that seems to only matter to Italians). For the most part, this means Aperol and Campari, but realistically any lighter amaro that is rarely consumed on its own (or just on the rocks) but rather with soda fits here. That also includes Cynar, the had-to-find Calisaya, and the Chicago-favorite Malort,
Digestifs
Basically, digestifs are everything else once you’ve removed the aperitifs above. They tend to be dark in color, a bit higher in booze, and consumed frequently neat or on the rocks. The most popular include Montenegro, Averna, Ramazzotti, and Lucano.
Confusingly, Fernet Branca is actively marketed in both categories despite its dark complexion.
My History with Amaro
I was introduced to the category living in Italy, but really only consumed it there as a negroni or a spritz during aperitivo. Looking back, I’d pay quite a bit of money to get a do-over and do a much more intentional job of seeking out local amari. They’re all over the place, and the vast majority are extremely hard to find stateside.
For years after I got back, I treated amaro pretty much that same way when I started making negronis and spritzes at home. I remember the first shot of Malort that my best friend had me take in Chicago, and I remember my reaction being much different than most. It didn’t taste good by any means, but it was interesting. I wanted to figure out what I could do with it to make it stand out in cocktails. I never succeeded, but I’m still working on it in advance of his wedding this fall.
Moving to Seattle, the industry shot of choice was most certainly Fernet Branca. We befriended enough bartenders early on that we were quickly exposed to this archetype of amaro, and I quickly took to it. Unfortunately, Mary still hasn’t developed the taste.
I started seeking our amaro on cocktail lists, looking for other applications and inspiration, and I’ve been experimenting with my own recipes in the last year or so. I’ve also started looking for new amari to try and figure out, with a recent find being the local Brovo Amaro project that’s been a ton of fun to follow. There are still far too many of the amari even in this post that I haven’t drunk yet, but I’m getting there!
What to Make with Amaro
If you don’t want to drink your amaro solo (I prefer a few ice cubes and a citrus peel, a lot like a full citrus slice and no ice), then there are obviously a ton of other ways to drink them.
With Soda
Like any highball, I recommend a 2-to-1 ratio here and a garnish of sorts to bring out some additional flavor. The classic Amaro Soda is with Campari and orange peel, and it is delicious. Any aperitif works well with soda (since that’s essentially their main distinguishing feature), but I’ve also enjoyed Monenegro this way quite a bit.
With Tonic
If you want a little more going on in your drink, use tonic instead of soda and reduce the ratio to 1-to-1 and drink it in a rocks glass. I haven’t found an amaro that isn’t unique and delicious in this application, but make sure you use a good tonic water! I’ve found that Fever Tree’s Mediterranean tonic works best with most amari.
General Cocktails
There are thousands of cocktails that utilize amari, and I’ve written about several of them. But I’ve also found a general ratio of 3 ingredients that tends to produce a delicious amaro-forward cocktail as a spritz-like tall drink.
The ratio is 3 parts fresh juice, 2 parts amaro, and 1 part liquor. The key is to find a juice and a liquor that pair well with the amaro, with grapefruit and vodka probably being the most diverse here. Here are 2 examples that I’ve really enjoyed this last week with the sun coming out regularly in Seattle.
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