What does Cynar taste like?
Cynar tastes bittersweet and earthy, like caramel, brown sugar and dark herbs with a vegetal bite, and despite the artichoke on the bottle, it doesn't really taste of artichoke.
Cynar
bittersweet, earthy caramel
Cynar (say 'CHEE-nar') is an Italian amaro made with artichoke leaves and a blend of other herbs. The artichoke shows up as an earthy, slightly vegetal bitterness rather than anything you'd recognize from a dip. Up front it's sweet and caramel-like, almost like cola, then a dry bitterness settles in. At about 16.5%, it's lighter than most amari (the plural of amaro), so it works as a long drink with soda or orange. There's also Cynar 70, a stronger version made for cocktails.
Where you’ll see it
With soda or tonic and an orange slice, in a Cynar spritz, as a swap for Campari in a Negroni, and in cocktails like the Bitter Giuseppe.
Order it if you like Campari but want something earthier and less fruity.
Quick questions
- Does Cynar taste like artichoke?
- Not really. Artichoke leaves give it an earthy, slightly vegetal bitterness, but it mostly tastes like caramel and herbs.
- Is Cynar an aperitivo or a digestivo?
- Both. It's light enough for before dinner with soda, and bitter enough to sip on its own after.