This is not a post about wine. If you have no interest in learning about something else rad, then I suggest you stop reading.

I’ve found myself in the depths of an Amaro fascination (obsession?) and feel the need to introduce my newest friend. Perhaps it grew from the city of San Francisco’s legendary love and dependence for Fernet-Branca – the bitter medicinal digestif that I forced myself to acquire a taste for and now sip regularly. Regardless, the world of Amaro has changed the way I think about alcoholic herbal concoctions and even stirred whimsical dreams of proprietoring and manning a strictly Amaro bar (Abaro? Or as suggested by S. Layton, ‘Amaro Never Dies’). The world of spirits embracing the very grown-up taste of bitterness is well worth exploring.

Amaro, meaning ‘bitter’ in Italian, is essentially a family of potable bitters created in every province throughout Italy and most often sipped as an after dinner digestif. The guarded recipes usually involve macerating a shopping list of herbs, roots and botanicals in a neutral spirit or wine, sweetening to some degree, and aging. I love the distinct range in styles, from the fruity and obviously bitter Ramazzotti made in Milano, to the thicker, raisiny, and more mildly bittered Sicilian creation, Averna.

Here are a few of the main Amari that you will see in Vancouver:

Fernet-Branca (pictured at the top)
Fernet is a sub-variety of Amaro – much drier and more intensely bitter. Fernet-Branca tastes like liquid Ricola (the Swiss herbal cough drops) or an extreme and complex Jägermeister. Think of a medicinal blend of licorice and mint. It isn’t for everyone, but once you gain an appreciation, it can be quite rewarding. The ultimate method of enjoying Fernet may still be sipping it from a shot glass with a cold beer on the side.

Ramazzotti
Owned by Pernod Ricard and produced in Milano. A blend of 33 herbs originally created in 1815 and carries the slogan “Ramazzotti is always good for you.” Enough said? A great balance between red fruit characters and a green, herbaceous quality (artichokes?). Definitely the fruitiest of the lineup.

Montenegro (Not pictured)
First produced in 1885 in Bologna and is now the top-selling Amaro brand in Italy. Made from a blend of over 40 herbs, macerated in neutral alcohol. Very citrusry, with dried orange peel and caramel characters.

Nonino
From the Friulian grappa producer in NE Italy. The base is a grappa made from Ribolla, Traminer and Verduzzo grapes, which is blended with grain alcohol, infused with herbs and aged in oak barrels for 5 years. Quite caramelly with a spicy alcoholic bite. The grape spirit comes though, adding aromatics.

Averna
Has hailed from Sicily since 1868. The herbs, roots and citrus rinds are macerated in alcohol and caramel is added. Averna has the most developed characters of the group – caramel, raisins and coffee. It could almost be PX sherry that has been further fortified.

While my favourite mode to truly enjoy the flavours of an Amaro is drinking it neat after a meal, its accents are cherished in the cocktails world. Below are two choice recipes supplied by Shaun Layton – Van Mag’s Bartender of the Year and Head Barman of L’Abattoir:

Chaplin Cocktail (Created at the Zig Zag Café in Seattle and one that we love to serve)

20 ml Dry Sherry (Tio Pepe)
20 ml Amaro (Ramazzotti)
20 ml Bourbon (Buffalo Trace)
5 ml Cointreau
2 dashes of Orange Bitters (Angostura)

Stir on Ice (20-30 seconds, tasting while stirring to achieve proper dilution) in a shaker glass and strain into chilled cocktail glass. This is a delicious cocktail that successfully combines three amazing things – Sherry, Amaro and Bourbon.

This photo is Hipstamatic-ed to the edge of recognition, but it is in fact a Fernet Old Fashioned.

Fernet Old Fashioned – we’ve been making the classic Old Fashioned cocktail with a significant twist by substituting Fernet-Branca for Whiskey. Again, you need to have a high appreciation level for Fernet, but if you do, you’ll love this drink.

1.5 Sugar cube (Preferably brown sugar. 50% more sugar than classically called for in an Old Fashioned).
Orange peel (Toonie sized, with pith removed)
2 oz Fernet-Branca
1 Dash of Angostura Orange Bitters

Pour a splash of Fernet on the sugar cube and muddle it with the orange peel in a shaker glass, breaking down the cube and releasing the orange oils. Add the dash of Orange Bitters to the mix. Add Fernet, fill shaker glass with ice and stir for just under a minute until all sugar is dissolved. Pour into rocks glass over fresh ice. Squeeze another orange peel over the drink and drop it in as a garnish.

Next time you’re out for dinner or cocktails, ask about the Amaro selection. Restaurants in Vancouver that stock at least one include Campagnolo, Boneta, Bao Bei, the Diamond, Corner Suite Bistro, Pourhouse, and L’Abattoir.

But don’t just take my word for it: