04/09/2026
***Cocktails 101: Amaro***
Let’s talk about amaro. This class of liqueur, which originated from Italy, is a major component in classic and contemporary cocktails. In the broadest terms, amaro is made by infusing a neutral spirit, grape brandy, or wine with botanical ingredients that include herbs, citrus peels, roots, spices, and flowers. After the base takes on the botanical flavors, the solids are filtered out; then the liquid is sweetened and aged in a barrel or in the bottle, often for a number of years.
Note that amari do not have to come from Italy. There are companies in the United States and elsewhere making interesting varieties. For example, Vikre Distilling, a tiny craft distiller in Duluth, Minnesota, makes Amaro Superiore, which is delicious.
A couple of linguistic notes: The plural of “amaro” is “amari.” Second, “amaro” is the Italian word for “bitter.” Most amari are bitter to some extent. They range from the kind of bitterness that makes your tongue curl up and your eyes scrunch shut to a gentle bitterness that’s subtly layered with sweet citrus and floral flavors. It’s a wide range. I keep many amari in my home bar (as you can see from the photos) because I love the layers of bittersweetness and flavor they add to cocktails.
In my experience, the most common amaro to see at a bar is Campari, probably because it’s one of the ingredients in a Negroni, which every decent cocktail bar should be able to make. The fact that Campari is the most common amaro doesn’t mean it’s the first one you should try, though. Many people find it unpalatably bitter. I think it’s delicious, but my wife won’t drink a cocktail that contains even half an ounce of Campari.
In order to help you find an amaro that you enjoy, I’ve made a list of some commonly available amari with brief notes about the flavor of each. There are hundreds of amari in Italy, and dozens of those are available in the United States. This list contains just a handful of varieties that I like and use in cocktails.
Amaro Montenegro–sweet, citrusy, floral with a bit of vanilla, minimal bitterness
Amaro Nonino Quintessentia–bittersweet with citrus, herbs and caramel
Cynar–earthy and herby, more bitter than sweet
Averna–bittersweet, herbal and citrusy with some notes of chocolate
Amaro Meletti–more sweet than bitter, floral and fall baking spices, caramel/cola aftertaste
Aperol–bright, bittersweet, almost exclusively citrus flavors
Gran Classico–bittersweet and complex with a wide variety of herbal flavors
Amaro CioCiaro–more sweet than bitter, gentle, earthy honey, floral, lemon, and herb
Fernet Branca–aggressively minty and herbaceous, not really bitter
St. George Bruto Americano–mintly and herbaceous, but much less assertive than Fernet
Ramazzotti–balanced, sweet and fresh, flavors reminiscent of root beer
Zucca Rabarbaro–more bitter than sweet, earthy, smoky, rich
Campari–much more bitter than sweet, bright crisp herby bitterness
Jeppson's Malort-the most bitter flavor I can imagine, to be avoided at all costs
Once you choose an amaro, what do you do with it? The Italians often use amari as aperitifs and digestifs, which is to say they sip a small glass just before or just after a meal, either to stimulate the appetite or aid in digestion. That’s a great way to enjoy your amaro, but most people I know use their amari to make cocktails. Used in small quantities as a flavor enhancing ingredient, amari can add layers of depth and complexity to almost any drink. A good cocktail book will offer several uses for each amaro. The fun part about amari is using them to create twists on cocktail recipes. For example, a Negroni traditionally calls for Campari, but a variety of delicious cocktails can be created by using Gran Classico, Cynar, or Montenegro instead. In fact, during the “let’s get weird” part of the evening at a recent event, I made some Montenegro Negronis (Montenegronis?) that turned out to be a big hit with my most dedicated Negroni drinker. The trick is to use an amaro that’s at least similar to the one in the original recipe. You would not want to substitute Zucca in a recipe that calls for Meletti. The resulting cocktail would be a train wreck, most likely. You could sub Zucca for Cynar in most recipes, though, and come away with something interesting.
Here are a few of my favorite cocktail recipes that use amari. In parentheses, I’ll list alternate amari that also make a good version of the drink:
Negroni (bitterness tolerance: fairly high)
-1 oz gin
-1 oz sweet vermouth
-1 oz Campari (Gran Classico, Cynar, Montenegro)
-stir, serve over ice in a rocks glass with orange peel garnish
Paper Plane (bitterness tolerance: low)
-.75 oz bourbon
-.75 oz Amaro Nonino Quintessentia (Averna)
-.75 oz Aperol
-.75 oz lemon juice
-shake, double strain into a chilled coupe
Rosalita (bitterness tolerance: low)
-2 oz reposado tequila
-.75 oz lime juice
-.75 oz agave syrup (1:1 agave nectar and water)
-.5 oz Amaro Montenegro (Meletti)
-shake, double strain over ice in a rocks glass and garnish with a lime wedge
Toronto–Jamie Boudreau's version (bitterness tolerance: low, but still pretty assertive)
-1 oz 100-proof rye whiskey
-1 oz bold bourbon
-wide strip of orange peel
-¼ oz Fernet Branca (Bruto Americano)
-¼ oz simple syrup
-2 dashes Angostura bitters
-stir all ingredients, including peel, with ice then strain into a coupe and garnish with another strip of orange
Rodeo Ghost (bitterness tolerance: not for the faint of heart)
-1 oz mezcal
-1 oz Zucca Rabarbaro (Cynar)
-1 oz sweet vermouth
-2 dashes chocolate bitters
-stir, strain into rocks glass over ice, garnish with orange peel
If your curiosity is piqued but you aren't sure where to start, I'd suggest Amaro Montenegro as a first bottle of amaro to just about anyone. Make yourself a Rosalita and a Montenegro Negroni. I'm pretty confident you'll be hooked and ready to try other amari. (And as a bonus, the Montenegro bottle is extremely cool looking on your bar.)
There you have it...a crash course in amaro. If you have any comments or questions, I'll be happy to respond!
