saw some discussion about this and curious what people think are the best in north america in particular.

to me the undisputed king is Amor Y Amargo which i think kind of invented the format at least in the new world, and directly inspired some of the other candidates that come up. Barnacle in Seattle was founded by AYA alumni and is my second favorite. i think both of these are fantastic in that they have a huge range of amaro but also they care deeply about making interesting amaro-based cocktails. Barnacle also does amaro tasting flights. so not just stocking a lot of stuff but knowing a lot about it, making sure their staff do too (although Barnacle has faltered a bit on this lately imo) and are excited to mix drinks that are unique and amaro-centric. my #3 favorite is Billy Sunday in chicago but this place has a lot less going on cocktail-wise especially as far as amaro is concerned. but as far as bottles (vintage especially) and knowledgeable bar staff they are right up there

I live in LA, the closest thing we have is a place called Capri Club which is more of a spritz bar. good amaro selection but the staff in general don't seem that knowledgeable and are often quite averse to mixing bitter drinks that really feature the more interesting bottles they carry. best time i had there was after a Fernet event they threw when they had 4 fernet cocktails briefly on the menu. the amaro selection itself is good but you can do just as well on that front at an italian restaurant like Osteria Mozza

i haven't really encountered anywhere else in north america that lives up to what i'm talking about, but this trend has been massively on the rise so maybe there are new places. i've still yet to visit Bar 821 in SF for example

so to conclude i think the sweet spot is a combo of 1. huge amaro selection, 2. willingness to mix amaro-forward drinks and innovate new cocktails that feature amaro in interesting ways and 3. training their staff to mix with this stuff and talk intelligently about the bottles they carry

Love all things amaro!! Any bars with a strong amaro program (or your fav amaro cocktail), distilleries or bottle shops we should check out? Heading there in December!!

I picked up this tiny bottle at the Cinzano headquarters. Cinzano is part of the Caffo family of spirits, and so is this bottle. The website indicates a long historical tale. This one is different then many I have had lately. It is 40% abv, more bitter, and less sweet. It is bursting with spices and botanicals; not an amaro for beginners. I wish I could find this in Canada, it is unique enough that I would want a bottle of it on hand. A very pleasant discovery!

I am enjoying this pour of Rabarbaro Gran Riserva, which I cannot get in Canada. 4 Euro for a generous pour from a corner cafe in Ravenna, Italy. It's got a fairly distinct coffee flavor in addition to the obvious rhubarb notes. Lovely!

It was great and had some unusual notes I’d never tasted before.

Love China-china Amer so I wanted to see if I could make some at home! Here's to trying my first batch.... We'll see how it goes 🙏 any advice is much appreciated!

(Photo from the first day, about 4 days ago).

Grocery store find. It's 21% and in a 500ml bottle for 11 euro. Overall impression was that it's pretty mid. Minty, floral, sweet, and lightly bitter. Not a style I enjoy that much. I could not find this bottling on Caselli's website. For the price, it's ok. I don't regret buying it, but would not do so again.

Hello everyone!

As it says in the title, I’m completely new to DIY amaro but am very interested in having a go! I work in an Italian-specialist wine shop and the owner and I have mused about having an in-house amaro to offer at tastings.

How do you build your suite of botanicals? How trim or extensive should I keep mine? Are there botanicals you include not for their primary flavour, but for how they enhance others? What influences your choice of one bittering agent (eg. cinchona) over another? (Eg. Gentian.) I’ve noticed some recipes on this sub using roasted/charred botanicals, as well as different woods as chips. Does the inclusion of wood, complex as it is when imparting flavours in spirits, make other botanicals redundant?

The main notes I’m after are dried apricot, citrus peel, red fruit, allspice, and cacao nib.

Thank you & grazie mille!

picked up some amargo obrero while traveling in argentina. supposedly the amaro of argentina (at least based on some cursory internet research).

sampled it on its own—more watery/less thick than most amari i’ve had; light herbaceous flavor; specific flavors difficult to ID but an initial sweetness followed by licorice/cola/sassafras. also had it as part of a “pico y pomelo” (supposed to be a 30/70 mix of amargo obrero and grapefruit soda; i went 50/50), which i really enjoyed.

glad i tried it while in argentina but not sure i’ll be bringing a bottle home.

on a related note, had a cynar julep at a bar in buenos aires that was quite delicious.

This place is so cool. I ordered a Valley of the Saroos. The ingredients are on the menu, it’s tasty! It has this sort of fruit peel and scotch feel; it’s a little brandy like, actually.

I was told about the book, I think on this subreddit, they have the book! It’s an enormous list of liquor and liqueur in a brown leather bound folder. The Amaro list is sizable. All sorts of vintage stuff, I have no idea what most of it is, but it does look very cool.

And check out I’m sitting by a BIG empty bottle of the drink that sparked my love for Amaro in the first place: Fernet-Branca!

This is such a cozy little place with such a cool menu!

If you’re ever in a Chicago, you should try it!

Add: last drink coming up. What weird shit do I order?

I'll be visiting Napoli in December and I'm curious about amari bars I should try?

Also, unmissable, must try local amaro? Grazie!

I am in Torino right now, and sought out Damarco wine shop based off a rec from this sub. Once I got back to the hotel (15 minute walk), I opened this bottle, and tasted the elixir inside. This one did not disappoint! It has a very good balance of sweet and bitter, with lots of citrus, and overtones of baking spice. Not a beginner's amari, but not too challenging either. I think it was about 18 Euros?

The fernet and the ‘Bitter Tooth’ (not pictured) were my favorite. Also picked up a bottle of their single barrel rye! A++

Honestly, as you can see: I haven’t mixed the two. But I feel like I could get my protein this way.

Any thoughts?

Addendum: So, I tried it. To be fair it was with cold Averno, and I think perhaps warmed it might mix a little better. It’s not horrible; it’s not good, either. A little sharp tasting.

Pic in comments

Edit again: I don’t think you can put a pic in the comments. It looks gross. Trust.

Had a Braulio shakerato for the first time last night and was hooked, so now I’ve gotta try it with the rest of my collection 😂 not as much fun foam as the Braulio with this one but it still rocks

Side note, everyone check out Eda Rhyne’s Hideaway location in Weaverville, NC. More amaro dive bars with line dancing lessons, plz

hello all,

this appeared on the shelves of my local wine and liquors store in montréal, canada.

i decided to give it a try tonight.

anyone knows anything on this one ?

Hey everyone,
Heading to Italy tomorrow for a short trip and wanted to tap into this sub's hive mind for some serious bottle-hunting recommendations.
My route:
1. Anguillara Sabazia (Lake Bracciano, Lazio – just north of Rome)
2. Pitigliano (Maremma / Southern Tuscany, right on the border with Upper Lazio / Tuscia)

What I'm hunting for:
Small-batch, hyper-local, artisanal, or obscure Amari and botanical liqueurs that are practically impossible to find outside their home region or exported abroad. Definitely looking to skip the commercial shelf staples (no Averna, Montenegro, Lucano, Nonino, etc.).

Are there any hyper-local gems, farmstead producers, or micro-distilleries from Lazio, the volcanic lake regions, or Southern Tuscany/Tuscia (Viterbo & Grosseto provinces) that I should be searching for on enoteca shelves?

Also, if anyone happens to know a killer enoteca or bottega in or around Lake Bracciano or Pitigliano that stocks niche spirits, I’m all ears.

Appreciate any leads! Cheers!!

Happy to have celebrated my 300th amaro tasted in Venice this past weekend. Some delightful new finds, which continues to astound me even when I visit the same places again and again. The well is deep, my friends, and we'll never get through all of the amari out there. The more we drink, the more there are. And what's better than that?

Best of this bunch for me were Nostrano and Agile, but all tasting notes are below. The full log of my tastings to date are here.

S. Biagio Tarassaco - S6B7 - Finished off the last of their bottle at Cantine del Vino già Schiavi and the barman told me that that's the end. Not of their stash, but of the amaro in general. The producer isn't making it anymore. It's a shame because it's fucking delicious! Cloudy, rabarbaro forward, like an extra bitter Sfumato. The name means "dandelion" but I'm not familiar enough with that flavor to place it in there.

Colletivo Botanico Amaro Amiata - S7B5 - Spicy and tealike. Some bright citrus, maybe lemon? Springtime sensations in the mouth. Fresh!

Dr. Mason Rosmarino Amaro - S5B5 - Strangely bland. Rosemary is on the subtler side. Some nice caramelly sweetness. Overall underwhelmed but not offended.

Nostrano - S5B5 - Perfectly in balance! This might be the definitive amaro of Venice that I've been searching for. Inspired by the lagoons. Definitely a salinity to it. Herbal in a specific way I can't quite place, but it's delicious.

Ballor 100 - S6B5 - Warm, rooty quality. Some salinity. Burns a bit on the back end in the best way. Almost a subtle salty caramel thing happening and some coffee.

Agile - S4B6 - Mint, but not spearmint or peppermint. Licorice, wormwood. Some bubblegum underneath (reminiscent of that note in Montenegro). Some orange as well. Very complex and delicious.

Amara Caroni - S7B5 - I always order anything from the Amara family when I see it, because we only get the OG in the U.S. This one seems like an Amara riserva. Still a ton of orange. Boozier than regular Amara. Barrel notes. OK, not obsessed.

Pieris Carciofo - S7B4 - This is from Fred Jerbis's new line of riffs on Italian classics. The name means "stone" in Friuli dialect (as in "milestones of Italian spirits"). Definitely artichoke here, with a caramelly sweetness. Rounder than Cynar. Would be great in a Boulevardier.

Pieris Menta - S7B4 - Minty goodness. Simple and clean and nice. Not nearly as dry as Branca Menta.

Made a bunch of concoctions last night with a group of friends and each one is filled with a different mix! Had never used pawpaw before so fingers crossed it works out well. Dug out the fruit and removed skins and seeds.

Where do I find exciting, vintage, or noteworthy bottles? I see so many people have insanely cool collections and I would love to begin my journey in collecting. Are there auction sites? Do I get the from liquor reps through my bar? Is there another way I can find them and do research?

I can’t seem to find a definitive answer online - is it safe to use camphorweed leaves and flowers in my fall amaro? I use 190 proof grain alcohol and let the amaro sit for 5 weeks.