Italian bitter liqueurs, particularly amaro, have long been beloved by bartenders but were never really a part of the mainstream drinking culture—that is, until recently. “Amaro shots are a big form of camaraderie in the hospitality industry, so we pour a lot of Italian bitter liqueurs in that way, but I’ve definitely noticed a big uptick in non-industry folk ordering amari as well,” says Alex Howard, beverage director of Martha My Dear in Nashville, Tennessee. “People are becoming more familiar with the category thanks to some applications that have snuck into mainstream culture, like the Aperol Spritz and the Negroni. It’s exciting to see more people curious about amari and eager to dive deeper into the category. We’ve turned a good number of our regulars into full-blown nerds.”
Indeed, bartenders who are passionate about sharing their knowledge are a big reason these spirits are surging in popularity today. “I think you have to taste these kinds of spirits to really appreciate them, which is why it’s so important that we, as bartenders, educate our guests,” notes Quintin Scalfaro, beverage director of The Love Shack in Portland, Oregon. “Whenever a guest asks me about an obscure bottle on the back bar I’m happy to pour them a small taste and give them a little background on the spirit.”
Storm Brunni, bar lead and event coordinator at Barolo Grill in Denver, similarly enjoys educating guests on Italian spirits, especially amari. “There are numerous reasons amari and other digestifs are getting their time in the spotlight, and I think it’s long overdue,” she says. “First and foremost, there’s the incredible craftsmanship behind this bitter spirit—amaro is the product of anywhere between 30-to-50 botanicals, roots, herbs, and spices all thrown together with meticulous precision at the hands of Italian monks starting around the 13th century. Additionally, its versatility is another key factor in its appeal. Amaro is the chameleon of spirits; there are so many different styles that can work for every palate.”
Florian Thireau, bar manager and director of mixology at Bar Crenn in San Francisco, also notes the versatility of Italian bitter liqueurs. “These spirits work brilliantly in everything from accessible Spritzes to complex stirred cocktails, making them approachable entry points for newcomers while offering depth for enthusiasts,” he says, adding that there’s still a knowledge gap among consumers. “Many recognize Campari and Aperol but lack familiarity with the broader spectrum of regional Italian bitter liqueurs—this creates both a challenge and an opportunity for bartenders to guide exploration.”
Entry Points
For many drinkers, Aperol and Campari are indeed very familiar ingredients, thanks to the popularity of the Aperol Spritz and Negroni, notes Diane Corcoran, beverage director of Bar Tre Dita in Chicago. “These cocktails really got people interested and more aware of this style of spirit—they’re a fun and easy introduction to the category,” she says. “Also, as more bartenders are utilizing these ingredients in cocktails, it continues to put them in front of guests. Spritzes, in particular, are a great way to introduce a new spirit.” Her bubbly tall drink The Good Life ($19) features Cappelletti Mazzura aperitif, Donna Rosa Rabarbaro amaro, Antica Torino Rosso vermouth, and Fever-Tree tonic.
“I really love branching out from a classic Aperol Spritz and turning just about every amari I come across into a Spritz of some sort,” Brunni says. “At Barolo Grill we try to always keep a rotating seasonal Spritz on our menu; it’s pretty incredible what adding a splash of bubbles can do to lighten up these intense flavors.” One recent offering was the Contratto Spritz ($15), comprising Contratto aperitif, Domanda Prosecco, and soda water. At Amari Italian Kitchen & Wine Shop in Las Vegas, bartender Logan Daley’s Guano Spritz ($18) mixes Pasubio vino amaro, Macchu Pisco, house-made white wine syrup, lemon juice, muddled strawberries, and soda water. “Cocktails featuring Italian bitter liqueurs have evolved to match shifting consumer tastes, leaning into both deeper flavor complexity and a lower alcohol content,” Daley says. “With the increasing demand for low-abv and aperitif-style cocktails, amaro’s naturally lower alcohol content makes it an ideal fit for this trend.”
The current booming popularity of low-abv drinks has certainly had a positive effect on Italian bitter liqueurs, as has consumers’ growing appreciation for bolder, bitter flavors, notes Martha My Dear’s Howard. “By using amari in place of traditional base spirits, bartenders can create lighter cocktails that still offer big flavors—this has become a very common order for those looking to sip on something complex without getting too tipsy,” he says. “I enjoy using Montenegro amaro in cocktails because it seems to appeal to everyone. It offers nuanced flavors while still remaining soft enough for less adventurous palates—it’s a wonderful way to showcase the depth and complexity of amari without worrying about any overwhelming bitterness.” His Honeymoon Phase ($13) comprises Montenegro, house-made tonic syrup, lemon juice, muddled cucumber, and Topo Chico mineral water.
“Italian bitter liqueurs find their perfect companions in bright citrus notes, particularly blood orange, grapefruit, and bergamot, which balance their intensity while enhancing their complex botanical profiles,” notes Bar Crenn’s Thireau. His Crimson ($22) is a twist on the classic Garibaldi—Campari and orange juice—featuring a blend of Averna amaro, Amer Picon aperitif, and Myers’s Original Dark rum, along with fresh blood orange and lemon juices, house-made blood orange tincture, and saline. “Italian bitter liqueurs offer unparalleled complexity in a single ingredient,” Thireau adds. “Where most spirits might provide a relatively singular flavor profile, one amaro can deliver bitter, sweet, herbal, spice, and floral notes simultaneously. This multidimensional quality allows bartenders to create sophisticated cocktails with fewer ingredients.”
Since Barolo Grill is an Italian restaurant, Brunni says she makes a point of incorporating Italian amari, grappa, and/or vermouth in every cocktail she creates for the menu. “These ingredients give such a range of depth that a simple, single spirit can’t provide alone,” she says. “There’s just such a depth of flavor and variety there that I’ll always look to these options first whenever I need to feel inspired. They can be delicate, refreshing, and tantalizing as a Spritz but can also be crafted into a spirit-forward, bitter bang to start the night.” Her Negroni Presto ($17) falls into the latter category, featuring equal parts Cynar amaro, Contratto Rosso vermouth, and beet-infused CapRock Organic gin, plus Fee Brothers Orange bitters and Rhubarb bitters.
Endless Options
As bartenders and consumers have grown more comfortable with the bold complexity to be found in the Italian bitter liqueur category, cocktails featuring these spirits have grown increasingly creative. “Italian bitter liqueurs have transcended their traditional role as digestifs to become essential components in contemporary cocktail culture,” Thireau says. “Most notably, we’ve seen an expansion into more innovative applications that showcase these complex spirits.” His Old Track ($20) is a smoky, spiced take on the Negroni that includes a ginger and lemon olive oil-washed blend of Sazerac rye, Ardbeg Scotch, and Campari, as well as Martini Rosso, Mancino Rosso, and Punt e Mes vermouths, plus saline and house-made ginger tincture. His M.I.A. ($21), meanwhile, is a complex take on the Paper Plane, mixing a blend of Ezra Brooks 99 Bourbon, house-made ginger tincture, and house-made peppermint tincture, a blend of Nonino amaro, Bénédictine herbal liqueur, and organic floral honey, plus Aperol and fresh lemon juice.
“One of the best things about Italian bitter liqueurs is their diversity: They span anywhere from bright and sweet to intensely bitter and astringent, so there are infinite applications and pairings,” Martha My Dear’s Howard says. “They’re a wonderful way to add depth and complexity to simple drinks; their incredible versatility allows them to function as bases, modifiers, sweeteners, or bittering agents, sometimes all at once. It’s easy to swap amari into classic cocktails, giving them a fresh twist while maintaining the original essence of the drink.”
At Amari Italian Kitchen & Wine Shop in Las Vegas, former beverage director Christopher Whitehead’s Fire & Blood ($18) is a take on the Margarita, comprising Camarena Reposado Tequila along with Vecchio Amaro del Capo Red Hot Edition, lime juice, agave, and diluted blood orange purée. “One of my favorite things about amari is how easily they can elevate a classic cocktail—simply swapping or incorporating them into a familiar recipe instantly adds depth and richness,” Daley says. “Amari and Italian bitter liqueurs also complement a wide range of flavors. Citrus, herbs, sweetness, smokiness, and earthiness all pair well with these liqueurs. Personally, I think Bourbon is the ultimate pairing for almost any digestif—it’s like chocolate and peanut butter.” His Alpine Peak ($18) mixes Bulleit Bourbon, Pasubio, house-made cinnamon-allspice-nutmeg syrup, apple cider, and aquafaba.
Bruce Shultz, general manager, bar manager, and head bartender at Amor y Amargo in New York City, also notes that there’s a huge range of ingredients that pair well with Italian bitter liqueurs. “But in general I find that they work best in spirit-forward, stirred drinks,” he adds. “These drinks styles have a tendency to be able to stand up to any amari no matter how bitter or gargantuan in flavor.” Shultz’s amari cocktails are certainly big on both abv and flavor: His Reminiscing ($18) blends Old Forester 86 proof Bourbon, Ciociaro amaro, Fred Jerbis fernet, and Bob’s Abbot bitters; his Trainspotter ($18) features Laird’s Straight Apple brandy, Ramazzotti Rosato aperitif, Pasubio, and Bittermens Burlesque bitters; and his Tea For One ($18) comprises equal parts Varnelli dell’Erborista and Bordiga Chiot Montamaro amari, plus Hayman’s Old Tom gin and Miracle Mile Bergamot bitters. At Bar Tre Dita, Corcoran’s Dita cocktail ($24) is similarly big and bold, mixing Sazerac rye, Sfumato Rabarbaro amaro, Cynar 70 proof, Punt e Mes, Luxardo Antico aperitif, and Angostura bitters. “All of these spirits are crafted so differently that they all have their own unique flavor and characteristics, which gives you endless opportunities to craft new cocktails and work with different flavors,” Corcoran says. “They really let you be creative and have fun.”
The Love Shack’s Scalfaro notes that while bitter liqueurs and amari have long been used in classic, spirit-forward cocktails like the Negroni and Black Manhattan, there’s an emerging trend of using these spirits in more surprising ways. “As of late we’ve seen amari and bitters sneaking into other cocktail families and styles, with the greatest trend being the ‘aperitiki’ style, which combines tropical flavors and tiki-style drink builds with the bitter herbaceous qualities of amari and bitter liqueurs,” he says. “Tropical drinks usually have a lot of bold flavors and generally speaking contain a fair amount of sugar and citrus juices, so using bitter liqueurs allows us to keep our cocktails in balance and add herbal complexity.” His I’m Like A Bird ($20) falls solidly in the “aperitiki” category, comprising a house rum blend of Planteray Dark, Smith & Cross, and Barbancourt 3 Star, plus Fernet-Branca, Combier Crème de Abricot apricot liqueur, pineapple, lime, and orange juices, rich simple syrup, and Angostura bitters. His house Negroni ($15), meanwhile, has tropical influence from pineapple-infused Campari mixed with Fords gin, Cocchi di Torino vermouth, and coconut water.
“Perhaps the most exciting development in how these spirits are being used is the emerging trend of cross-cultural cocktail development, where Italian bitter liqueurs are being paired with ingredients from other global traditions—imagine Campari with makrut lime and lemongrass, or alpine amari with Japanese whisky and yuzu—creating entirely new flavor combinations that honor tradition while pushing boundaries,” Bar Crenn’s Thireau notes. Scalfaro’s Dancing On My Own ($17), for example, is what Scalfaro describes as “a Paloma meets aperitivo hour,” taking a traditional Mexican cocktail and adding depth with Italian amaro. The drink features equal parts Cynar and Libélula Blanco Tequila, plus Combier Crème de Pamplemousse Rose pink grapefruit liqueur, fresh grapefruit and lemon juices, and house-made citrus-mint cordial. “I think we’ll see Italian bitter liqueurs more prevalently featured on cocktail menus in the coming years and I also see them being featured in more unexpected places,” Scalfaro adds.