A herbal liqueur from Basilicata, in the instep of southern Italy, where the amaro tradition runs deep. Amaro Lucano is built on a base of more than thirty herbs, roots and barks, and bottled at 28% — strong enough to carry the bitterness, sweet enough to keep it in check.
- 28% ABV, bottled at 700ml.
- From Basilicata, southern Italy.
- More than thirty herbs, roots and barks.
- Gentian, wormwood, bitter orange peel, clove, cinnamon.
How it is made
Amaro is an infusion before it is a liqueur. Herbs, roots, barks and citrus peel are steeped in alcohol, then the bitter extract is blended with sugar syrup to soften it. The category has no fixed recipe — every house guards its own list — and the balance of bitter to sweet is the whole character of the drink.
How it tastes
Gentian and wormwood give the first, clean bitterness, with bitter orange peel cutting through it. Clove and cinnamon sit underneath, warm and spiced, and a gentle sweetness rounds the edges. The finish is long and stays pleasantly bitter.
Good to know
The word amaro simply means bitter in Italian, and these drinks began as household and monastic preparations made from what grew nearby — herbs taken as digestives long before anyone thought of them as a category. Basilicata, wedged between Campania and Puglia, is one of the south's quieter regions, and its herb-covered hills have fed this kind of infusing for centuries.
Contains alcohol.
