What does amaro taste like?
Amaro tastes bittersweet and herbal: a syrupy mix of roots, bark, citrus peel and spices, sweet up front and bitter at the end, and every brand tastes different.
Amaro
bittersweet herbs after dinner
Amaro means 'bitter' in Italian, and it's a whole family of herbal liqueurs, not one drink. Each is made by soaking herbs, roots, bark and citrus peel in alcohol, then sweetening it. Some, like Montenegro, are light, floral and gentle. Others, like Averna, taste of caramel, cola and orange. Then there's Fernet-Branca, which is bracing, minty and very bitter. Strength ranges from about 16% to 40%. Italians traditionally sip one after dinner as a digestivo, and bartenders love them in cocktails.
Where you’ll see it
On an after-dinner list, served neat or on ice, sometimes with an orange peel. Also in cocktails like the Paper Plane, the Black Manhattan and Negroni riffs, and in spritzes.
Order it if you like cola, dark chocolate or Campari and want a slow sip after a big meal.
Quick questions
- What does amaro mean?
- It's Italian for 'bitter'. It covers dozens of herbal liqueurs, from gentle and sweet to intensely bitter, so ask the bartender which one they'd start you on.
- Is Campari an amaro?
- Loosely, yes: it's a bitter Italian liqueur. People usually call Campari and Aperol aperitivos, served before dinner, and save 'amaro' for the darker after-dinner ones.