What is Amaro?

Amaro means bitter in Italian. At its most straightforward, it is a liqueur. But unlike most other liqueurs, it is bolstered with a bitter backbone. It also typically, has dozens of ingredients. And you would be hard-pressed to get any Amaro maker to tell you what ingredients those are.

 

Italians traditionally imbibe amaro after a meal for its digestive qualities. There are also some aperitif bitters that are not quite technically considered amaro as they are ingested before a meal (for their palate-awakening properties).

​

When enjoyed before eating, bitter drinks stimulate the palate and allow it to better taste all the nuances of the food to come. 

​

When enjoyed after eating, bitter drinks help activate the enzymes that our digestion relies on. 

​

Before or after, we feel there is no wrong time to enjoy amaro!