If you're looking to stock your bar with something new this holiday season, there is no better place to start than the amaro. The Italian liqueurs have long been held in high regard by bartenders and connoisseurs alike for their unique taste(s), both neat and in cocktails. Aperitifs such as Fernet Branca and Amaro Negro have cult followings, with some bartenders even getting the brands' logos tattooed. So, just what makes these drinks so special? In this article, we will explore the different types of amaro in circulation, their relevance to bar culture, and a tasty cocktail recipe featuring Aperol, a popular bitter.
It's hard to say when the first batch of amaro was made, but historians believe that the origins of the drink can be traced back to Roman times. That said, it would take several centuries before Italy saw the production of bitters as they are defined today. In the early 19th century, several Italian families began to make amaros by steeping foraged botanicals in wine or brandy, a tradition some uphold to this day. At the same time that the first commercial amaro brand came into being, Ausano Ramazzotti, a herbalist, conducted several trials in an attempt to create an aperitif that could be savored at any hour of the day. Ramazozzoti would blend over 33 botanicals, which included fruits, flowers, herbs, and spices from all over the world, to create a spirit that would bear his name, the Ramazotti. He began commercial production of the drink in 1815 and saw immediate success, with the digestif becoming a Milanese staple. The Ramazotti brand continues to thrive today under the Pernod Ricard umbrella.
In the years that followed, Italy would see a boom in the production of Amaro, with several iconic brands like Campari, Cynar, Fernet, Aperol, and Amaro Montenegro joining the fray. The exact methods used for production vary depending on the brand in question and are almost always a closely guarded secret. That said, most brands make amaro by steeping botanicals in a base spirit or wine, filtering the mixture, and sweetening it before it is aged and bottled. Some lighter amari, such as Campari and Aperol, forego the aging process and are bottled right after they are blended. The ABV of the final product can range from 16–40%, depending on both the base spirit used and the dilution of the final product.
There are several different types of amaro, which are classified depending on the botanicals used. The most popular categories are listed below.
Fernet- Amari in this category has a distinctly bitter and herbaceous taste and is commonly consumed neat, as a digestif, or mixed into a cocktail, usually with a complementing bitterant such as coffee. The most popular concoctions in this class are Fernet Branca and Luxardo Fernet.
Carciofo- These amari are made using artichoke leaves, which give them a bitter and vegetal taste. Since the amari also contain other botanicals, they do not have a distinct artichoke taste. Bottles of carciofo may feature artichoke illustrations on the label, as do the most popular examples, Cynar and Amaro Carciofo.
Nocino- Amari in this category are flavored with green walnuts and complimentary botanicals. The resulting filtrate is often aged and sweetened with cane sugar before bottling. Faccia Brutto Nocino and Aggazzotti Nocino Riserva are two popular bottles worth checking out.
Alpine- Amari made with botanicals that are found in the alpine regions, which may include rhubarb, spruce, eucalyptus, and gentian, among others. Antica Erboristeria Cappelletti Pasubio and Faccia Brutto are both great representations of alpine-style amari.
Tartufo- The amari in this category are made using black truffles. Most manufacturers are based in Umbria, Italy, where the fungi grow in abundance. Amaro al Tartufo is the most popular bottle of the lot.
Vino Amaro- also called vermouth amaro, it uses wine as its base spirit. Cardamaro has long been the most popular spirit in this category.
Amari doesn't need to strictly adhere to a definition of these classes, which is why it is so popular amongst new wave distilleries that specialize in making them. Faccio Brutto and Tattersall are two examples of US-based operations that offer fantastic representations of Italian-inspired new-age amaros. Amari have long been used to make classic cocktails like the Negroni (Campari), Aperol Spritz (Aperol), and Toronto (Fernet Branca).
Now that you know all there is to know about the digestif, let's take a look at a recipe for a drink that features the concoction.
Hapusa El Chapo
This three ingredient cocktail is based on the El Chapo, a drink first concocted by Ben Clemmons of No.38 fame. This variant uses Hapusa gin in Lieu of the Fords Gin, along with a number of other changes.
● To start, fill a mason jar half way up with coarsely ground medium roast (preferably a natural, or honey processed) coffee, and saturate it with Aperol. Once the grounds are completely wet, top off the jar with the Aperol, shake, and leave on the counter to steep overnight. Strain using a coffee filter into a clean bottle once done.
● To assemble the cocktail, add 45 ml of the Hapusa gin, along with 30 ml of the coffee-infused Aperol, to a rocks glass filled with ice. Stir, and top off with Sepoy & Co. grapefruit tonic water. Garish with an orange twist.