As a bartender hobbyist, I subscribe to a lot of bartender and mixologist channels. Your's stands out, as you pack a LOT of good, actionable information into your videos without adding a lot of silly fluff that many of the other channels do. Thank you for all the great tips and information that you share!
I really appreciate that you do so much homework for these videos. You are so consistent with reporting what current popular wisdom says before going ahead with what's your favorite and why. So thank you for the multiple perspectives. :-)
I am a heavy amaro drinker, apart from having it plain I also enjoy it with an espresso correto (try Fernet Branca with coffee, excellent). Montenegro, Nonino, Del Capo and Meleti my favourite (in that order). Nice video
Vecchio amaro del capo is a must try out of the freezer and straight! Fairly easy to find where Italians are. Any time I go back to Sicily i end up on an amaro binge because there are so many to try 🤤
Exactly, I was just going to say the same. Can't talk about Amaro in Italy without mentioning Amaro del Capo. In my experience it's actually more popular than Fernet.
Was at Mediterranean Wholesalers in Melbourne yesterday buying some Averna and the young Italian (of course) descended woman at the check out raved about Vecchio amaro del capo! Said she doesn't drink much, but was hooked on that stuff her father drank... straight out of the freezer. Getting home, couldn't wait for the bottle to chill, so poured a little glass to pop in the freezer and it was sensational! Teleported straight to Italy staring at the label on the cutest bottle of the lot.
Man, being around to -watch- amari take over bars has been such a trip. Used to be I'd get looked at like an animal for ordering chartreuse neat, now I'm seeing Amaro Lucano on the regular. Absolutely wild. I'm all for it!
One of my favorite local bartenders introduced me to a kind of amaro called China-China, from France. It's on the less bitter side, but has a ton of wonderful deep orangey-citrus zest, but it isn't a light, bright, or summery flavor either -- it still goes well in something dark and rich. So good!
I’ve recently fallen in love with Amer China-China, and have used it in both cocktails and as a spritz. It’s so versatile and a great replacement for the long-gone Amer Picon.
An Italian chef in Chicago, shared his preferred way of drinking Cynar, which is to pour over the rocks with a twist of lemon. He prepared me one and have not looked back! You have two of my favorites, Averna and Montenegro.
Hi Cara! I`m from Argentina as well and one historic way of drinking fernet is the "Ferroviario". It`s served in a collins glass, 2 ices and 60 mills of fernet. Then a generous splash of seltzer ("soda") and then we "kill" the thick foam with sweet vermouth. Historically, we have use Cinzano, although Martini will work as well. Hope you try it and greetings from the other big´n´southern country!
Very nice selection, almost entirely overlapping with my own, except Averna is still on my shopping list. I would also mention CioCiaro, which is closest to Montenegro, and Zucca, which is rhubarb based and likely to be appreciated by anyone who also likes Cynar. Looking outside Italy, Jägermeister and Becherovka, while typically not thought of as amari, can play the same role for an interesting twist. And then of course we have the crazy Amaro Angostura, which is like the long format version of the aromatic bitters.
I love Amaro Nonino straight almost as a snack. Just an ounce in an aperitif glass is perfect. For an upset stomach, or as a digestif, I'll mix 1 oz Fernet-Branca with 1/4 oz demerara syrup. Those are two ways to drink Amari as simple or straight.
Hi Cara! Italian fan here! First thing: I love your videos! Thanks for meaking this one about amari! My favourite amaro is Braulio. I know it's not easy to find outside Italy, well it's not easy to find in some regions of Italy too, but I racomend it to everyone. I usually drink it neat, but i always wanted to try it in a cocktail. I've tried mixing it to chinotto and I think the flaovur is interesting, but I was not really satisfied with the result. I can't wait for the cocktails video!
Here in Oregon, we have an American bitter called Cascadia Liqueur made by New Deal Distillery that feels very heavy on gentian, lavender, and juniper. It's quite worth trying if you can find it.
Yes! So happy to see a video featuring amari! One of my favorites is Rucalino. It’s from Ischia, an island outside of Naples. Hard to find, but such a treat!
There is (or at least was, a couple of years ago) an Italian street food place in the centre of Bristol (UK) that had rucalino on the shelf behind the counter. Which I just had to try, of course.
Thanks for the great information. I have two in my bar, black Manhattan is one of my favorites. Like exploring adding these to other cocktails to find new flavors.
Love, love, love the 3 you picked to taste! My go-to last summer was a Cynar Spritz - so refreshing. Looking forward to plunking down a chunk of change on a beautiful bottle of Nonino - well-designed labels always get me 😍 I also get so excited when I see a substantial amari collection at a bar or liquor store, so thanks for covering this one. Would love to see more. Cheers! ☺️
I forgot to mention that if you can get your hands on it, St. George Distillery in Alameda, California makes my absolute favorite amaro, Bruto Americano. The label is sublime and it makes my Negroni 💃🏻
While on vacation in Croatia a few years ago, I discovered a few liqueurs made by a local distillery called Darna. Darna is located near Rovinj and has become fairly popular in my area of Indiana (US). They make a number of different ligueurs, like Pelinkovac, Kruskovac and another called Teranino. All of these are tasty, althoug quite different.
It’s not just alcohol, it’s what you do with it. It’s not just life, it’s how you live it. It’s all the fine little nuances you find in everything different and unique, like the thoughtful drinks you mix and the experience you share. You are a bit of everything you share with us: sophistication and joy, refined but edgy, serious while fun, simple yet captivating. You are as interesting as the subtle notes you mix. :)
Herbal bitters are also big in Denmark and we have a host of major brands of them, traditionally drunk as shuts with celebratory breakfasts, but also on older social occasions. Check out the brands Gammel Dansk and Arnbitter and related families of bitters around those.
I like a ‘pony’ of Suze as an aperitivo or in a White Negroni, as well (Plymouth Gin, Suze, bianco vermouth and grapefruit bitters). Cynar is fantastic in recipes that normally call for Campari. I have yet to try a Black Manhattan.
Stuff You Should Know podcast brought me here. Did not disappoint ! A super helpful primer for someone new to this element of cocktail architecture. Wish I had found your channel sooner ! thanks for some engaging and informative viewing
10:06 based on the length you took to finish that sip I think I will stay away from that one :) Excellent content as usual. Thank you for the primer for us uninitiated folks in Amari.
I guess I better give Suze a try, as Nonino and Cynar are my two go-to amari, too, along with Campari, of course (which I do like in a tequila highball).
Awesome video and was just what I was looking for to review all these different amari! Got a bottle of Amaro Nonino for xmas a few years ago and it became my gateway amari for me. Cheers from Toronto, Canada.
I was curious about the inclusion of punt e mes in the lineup as I thought it was a vermouth, but it wasn't talked about. I think I understand a bit better now after reading a reddit on vermouth, punt e mes, vermouth amaro and amari. Since I like my bitter elements it explains why I've been gravitating to it more over antica in my cocktails.
Exactly, it’s sort of a hybrid which brings an amazing bitterness to vermouth based cocktails without quite the astringency of some other amari- wonder ingredient!
I loved Campari before they changed something that was natural to artificial. When natural, the best fresh juice mixer was tangelo. I think it was the taurpines that resonated. Found that orange or grapefruit didn't do it
Hi Cara! Here in Argentina we have a way of drinking Branca. It's lots of ice, 35% fernet and 65% Coca-Cola (some regions add more fernet). We use big glasses or even cut a big plastic Coke bottle in half and share it. You'll find lots of fernet at any party here. Also, a really good laxant lol.
@@BehindtheBar I´m Argentine too, and agree with Martín. A couple of tips for Argentine clients: 1- A "Beverly Hills" means (90210, the PO Box of Beverly Hills and a tittle of popular TV Show of 90s) 90% Coke, 10% of Fernet and 2 ice cubes.2- If, when you are serving it, the foam rises too quickly, you can avoid spilling with a few drops of fernet in the shape of a crown on it. Greetings from Argentina
@@BehindtheBar Actually we have a huge amaro/vermouth culture product of a large italian population (60-65% of argentinians are italian descendants), but our cocktail scene (except for the Cynar Julep) has not yet exploited it well, since the cocktails with amaro/vermouth are like very "homey" or traditional
It doesn’t sound like you are a huge Fernet fan, but if you ever have a chance to taste (and mix) Denver, Colorado’s (USA) Leopold Bros. Fernet Leopold, go for it. Especially in an Old Timber cocktail.
I do enjoy my Suze "just" with a couple of ice cubes, a dash of sparkling water, and a wedge of lemon. By the way, Suze originally comes from Switzerland and just 12 kilometers from where I live, also we still have a slightly higher abv version than the french one. This makes me think that I never tasted both of them side by side, I will have to try! Finally, as my first comment on the channel: Thanks! It's very interesting and informative.
I have all the Amari in that lineup minus Suze which i am in the process of getting. Cynar is my absolute fave out of the bunch drunk on a big ice cube
Yet another great video. One question. I am really allergic to quinine, even cinchona bark which is a botanical ingredient in some Amari. Do you have any ideas to identify which do and don't contain cinchona? Most don't list ingredients. Thanks.
I’m really sorry pal, I wouldn’t be able to tell you (and wouldn’t want to risk being wrong!). Your best bet might be to reach out to individual brands about it?
I got into Amari while trying to recreate the original Brooklyn cocktail. I have several in the collection now, and have found that I prefer the darker and sweeter Amari. I really like Black Manhattans, and Averna is a super star for my palate. Amaro Cia Ciaro is another. I dislike Fernet though, I taste mint in it which I despise. I don’t love citrusy Amaro Montenegro and most of its peers (Mandarine Napoleon, etc.), though I do like the bitter liquors- Aperol especially.
I love your videos. They are a must-see. And I love amari, so that's perfect. I have been looking for a comparison of various amari that talks about sugar and sweetness. I like those that have less sugar, both for health and because I like them on the dry side. Can you perhaps name some amari that are relatively low in sugar, or point to a resource that has that information? Thanks!
Hmm I honestly don’t think it’s something amaro producers worry too much about to be honest! Your Fernet styles have less than e.g. Campari, and I’d imagine your more craft-y ones would have less than bigger commercial ones but there’s not too much nutritional information available on them I’m afraid!
@@BehindtheBar Thanks, Cara! It sounds like I should try Fernet, which I haven't tried before. I had a bottle of Amaro Pasubio in the past, which was less sweet, but I can't buy it where I am now. Keep your videos coming. I love watching them.
I came to Amaro in an odd way, via coffee! A coffee-related RU-vidr (James Hoffman) had a video discussing making coffee-infused spirits and shared a recipe for an amaro. Being home coffee roaster with coffee to spare, I had to give it a try. Doesn't get more local than ones own home! It's bourbon-based and uses gentian and bitter orange peel as the bittering agents with several other spices like nutmeg, vanilla, cassia bark, allspice, and some sugar for balance. It came out delicious and is amazing on rocks with a big orange twist. My love of this led me to try amaro drinks like the Negroni (in a number of varieties), black manhattans, etc.
Mr Black's coffee amaro (Australia - one for the next video?) is great. Quite soft and light on the bitterness compared to many amari, but still with that herb and spice complexity.
Amari are generally pretty shelf stable, they’re based on neutral grain spirit usually instead of wine so different to vermouth in that regard and last indefinitely!
According to Sother Teague at Amor y Amargo in NYC, there’s not really a distinction between “aperitif and digestif” with amari. They all “function” the same way. When ingesting amaro your body says “this isn’t something I should be drinking” and activates your digestive system to move things along. Whether that happens before or after a meal is irrelevant.
I'd have to do some research to know for sure but I've always thought it was simply that they (either Jim Beam or Johnnie Walker) worked out they could ship more bottles per case if they were square.
Unicum is the best I've tried ever... and I've tried many. It´s original from Hungary and the red cap is better than the black one, which is perhaps a tad too bitter, almost like Fernet.
@@mr.a7070 Unicum was the first amaro I tried. At the first sip I thought I might die. At the second I thought I might survive. At the third I was in love.
Cynar is very popular (and really cheap!) in Brazil. It is used on a traditional cocktail called "rabo de galo" (literally cock tail in portuguese), with cachaça and vermouth.
I loved the video! Thank you very much! I have a question: do you think it's possible to use Amaro Ramazzotti in the Brooklyn, instead of using Amer Picon?
@@Barprints It came out great! I really loved it. In case you can't find Amer Picon in your country (I couldn't find it in Brazil), you can really trust this option
I guess these bottles generally don't get much use (except for campari and fernet) in my house. What are good cocktails for these three that you've chosen
@@BehindtheBar Yes, in Poland both versions are available, but mostly I've come across Suze with ABV of 15% on different websites around the world. It probably stems from the fact that Suze with ABV of 20% is produced just for Swiss market. If I'm wrong, let me know. What's more, the bottle of Suze 15% is 1 litre and of Suze 20% is 0,7 litre, and the price is the same. I thought that maybe difference is in taste similarly like between green and yellow Chartresue. Anyway, thanks for your answer!
I think this video was just mentioned in Stuff You Should Know's episode about amari. They mentioned a well put together video about amari by a lovely girl with lovely scottish accent... who else could it be?
Cara. I just watched one of your videos about Vermouth..you had Punt e Mes as a Vermouth...but in this video you are featuring it as an Amaro...could you please explain the difference?..is it because it is an more bitter Vermouth which automatically puts in in the Vermouth category?..thank you in advance.
Yes exactly, it’s wine based and uses wormwood so technically a vermouth but the bitter profile means it’s often used more like an amaro. It should be kept in the fridge though!
I didn’t buy them unfortunately so not too sure of the exact one but they’re a copita glass - somewhere between a spirits tasting glass and a wine glass!
There’s a few Aussie ones now in the style, like the Adelaide Hills Bitter Orange or Okar. I’m not too sure for overseas I’m afraid- Aperol is in the same realm but much sweeter and softer.