What is amaro?
Amaro is a bitter, botanical-based spirit, and can include up to 40 different ingredients.
Amaro is an Italian digestif — a liqueur typically drunk after a meal.
The common flavor notes of amari are bitter, licorice, citrus, ginger, and mint. But reducing their flavor to a single description is impossible. Their flavor profiles can range from bracing to sweet. Alpine amari have a strong menthol character, while rabarbaro amaro tend to be sweet and smoky.
There are countless variations, and most of the formulas are secret recipes held by families and distilleries. These distilleries often acquired their recipes from Italian monastic orders, who developed the recipes over the course of centuries as part of botanically-based medicinal practices.
What’s in amaro?
While the recipes for most amari remain shrouded in secrecy, there are some well-documented ingredients. These plant materials are typically steeped in a neutral base spirit (a high-proof liquor with little character of its own), then blended and aged for anywhere from two months to two years.
The key to giving an amaro its characteristic flavor is the bittering agent. Common bitter botanicals used in amaro include:
- Angelica root
- Burdock root
- Chinese rhubarb
- Yellow gentian
- Wormwood
Notes of spice and savory are often added using:
- Anise
- Cinchona bark
- Cinnamon bark
- Fennel
- Licorice
Citrus flavor may be added using the pulp or rinds of:
- Bitter orange
- Lemon
- Sweet orange
And the flavor profile may be rounded out with any of the following:
- Blessed thistle
- Cardamon
- Cardoon
- Dandelion
- Genepi
- Germander
- Ginger
- Hibiscus
- Juniper
- Lemon balm
- Marjoram
- Yarrow
- Sage
- Tamarind
While amaro has its roots in medieval medicine, today its imbibed strictly for pleasure. Its rich history makes for a delicious exploration that rewards the curious palate.
Want to learn more? Explore the plants in our amaro garden or browse this list of resources.
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Labor Ipse Voluptas