Amaro/Fortifieds Flashcards
Nardini Bassano
Nardini Amaro is a balanced, distinctive digestif infused with bitter orange, peppermint, and alpine yellow gentian. This deeply mahogany-hued liqueur displays aromas of licorice, mint, caramel, and citrus, while the palate perfectly balances fruit and herb, bitter and sweet. Enjoy straight, chilled, or on the rocks.
Amaro delle Sirene
Don Ciccio & Figli
*anise, cardamom, cinnamon
Bountiful flavors of rhubarb, cardamom, cinnamon, plum, coffee, anise, and a pronounced bitter gentian root all layer into this DC made liqueur infused with over 30 roots and herbs. Barrel-aged for 30-45 days in French Oak barrels before bottling.
Zwack
Considered the national booze of Hungary since the late 18th century, Zwack is an herbal liqueur with a strong citrusy taste to it. But rather than hyper-bitter like Fernet or cloying-bitter like Jäger, it’s sweet and herbaceous with a bitter finish. In its native Hungary Zwack is almost always served as a shot. But we’re having a lot of fun with it over here in cocktail-world, where we’d place it in its own territory between an orange liqueur and an amaro.
Think reposado marg!
Granada-Vallet
Granada-Vallet is an herbaceous bitter liqueur from Hidalgo, Mexico, inspired by Italian aperitivi. Pomegranate tartness with hints of cinnamon and fennel is balanced by woody gentian root, wormwood and cinchona bark, with citrus notes of orange and markrut lime. Oaxacan cochineal delivers the beautiful color in this balanced, all-natural Mexican liqueur best served over ice or in your favorite craft cocktail.
St. George Bruto Americano
*fir on the nose, forest, quinine, orange (xmas negroni)
This bottling is bittered with quinine, California oranges, Balsam fir, and takes its natural deep red color from cochineal. With its throwback flavors and traditional production methods, this drinks like Campari before the recipe was changed in the 2000s. Deep and complex enough to stand on its own, try it over ice as an aperitif, or pair it with a bold gin and your favorite sweet vermouth for a truly memorable Negroni.
Carciofo (C3)
Don Ciccio & Figli
*Cynar but more depth, less cola
C3 Carciofo Is A Bitter Aperitivo Created Following A Traditional Italian Recipe. Our Aperitivo Is Based On An Infusion Of 3 Different Kinds Of Artichokes, Cardoons, Grapefrutis And 18 Selected Roots And Herbs. Crafted For All Cocktail Lovers, The Medium-High Bitterness Level Was Designed To Craft Magical Savory Cocktails, Negronis, Americanos, Boulevardiers, And More.
Amaro Sibilla
*blackstrap up front, very birch/walnut on finish. Lingering bitter woodsy
Taste robust bittersweet flavors of birch syrup, espresso, blackstrap molasses, and crushed walnuts. Serve up, with a twist, or even neat.
Cio Ciaro
CioCiaro is a nice middle-of-the-road next step before taking on some of the more aggressively bitter varieties.
gentian base,
floral notes and
baking spices alongside hints of cola and lemon.
Production of this bottle, the brainchild of Vincenzo Paolucci, has stayed in the Paolucci family since 1873. Try it in the Blue Collar cocktail, created at the legendary, now-shuttered Milk & Honey: rye, sweet vermouth, CioCiaro, maraschino liqueur, and Angostura and Regan’s bitters.
Lucano
-wormwoord, citrus, floral
Hailing from the southern Italian town of Pisticci, this dessert amaro is a pleasant by sipper before or after a meal. It was created by pastry chef Pasquale Vena in 1894, and the fourth generation of the Vena family still oversees production today. Lucano is made with wormwood, clary sage, and holy thistle, but like most amari, the full recipe is cloaked in secret. The profile blends citrusy and floral notes to achieve an excellent balance in both flavor and mouthfeel. Drink the stuff on ice or splash it with sparkling wine or soda, and you’re set.
Montenegro
— orange notes complemented by nutmeg, cinnamon, marjoram, coriander and clove
Ah, the gateway amaro: pleasantly sweet, not too bitter, with perfect velvety richness. Teague says he’s never poured a shot of Montenegro that wasn’t well received. A whopping 40 botanicals—sweet and bitter oranges, coriander seeds, marjoram, cloves, and artemisia, among others—come together to produce a wonderfully complex yet approachable sipper that’s at once bitter, herbaceous, fruity, sweet, and fresh. Dubbed the “liqueur of virtues,” it’s the most popular amaro in Italy for good reason.
Nonino
— orange, saffron, tamarind, licorice, rhubarb, gentian
Another alpine amaro, Nonino employs a base distillate of grappa that’s steeped with mountain botanicals—ranging from standard gentian and saffron to licorice, rhubarb, and tamarind—then aged in oak barrels for five years. A bit sweeter and mild on bitterness, the light-red liqueur makes for a nice stand-alone pour and can even be used as a substitute for Cointreau or triple sec. Produced using a family recipe since 1897, Nonino is another great entry-level bottle for newcomers to the style.
Ramazotti
— vanilla rootbeer
— Sicilian oranges, turmeric, star anise, rosemary and gentian
Created by Ausano Ramazzotti in Milan in 1815, this funky, bitter amaro has become fairly popular in the US. Star anise, cinchona, and gentian are a few of the 33 herbs and roots that give this bottling its distinct vanilla root beer–esque quality. More often consumed after than before a meal, Ramazzotti can come across a little strong at first, but it’s easy to love.
Cocchi Dopo Teatro Vermouth Amaro
As its name implies, its amaro-like flavors are more akin to a digestivo, with aromas of orange peels and cherries covered in dark, bitter chocolate. On the palate, its dessert-like cherry-sweetness has a counterpoint of robust espresso bitterness and lingering flavors of cola and vanilla bean.
Mattei Cap Corse Blanc
True quinquina blanc, unique among apertifs, distinctly Corsican components. All mistelle (fortified, unfermented grape must) base of Vermentino and Muscat lend minerality and floral notes, citrus from local Cedrat, flavored with cinchona for spice and depth.
Nose: herbal, honeysuckle, elderflower, quinine
Taste: bittersweet, quinine, lemon zest, lemongrass, with white pepper finish
Mattei Cap Corse Rouge
Local and exotic spices, walnuts, and cinchona bark.
Nose is Quinine, citrus, floral
Taste: bittersweet, quinine vs. grape, caramel, and honeyed sweetness, rosemary herbal and white pepper finish
