It seems everyone is drinking bitter these days—and Italian aperitivo and amari are at the center of this trend. “There’s a bit of a renaissance in embracing bold flavors like those found in herbal and bitter spirits and liqueurs,” says David Ballew, president and CEO of Oregon-based Hood River Distillers. “This trend mirrors a broader cultural shift toward more complex and robust taste experiences across the culinary and beverage scene over the last few decades. As a result, U.S. consumer palates have evolved, and now consumers want and expect bold flavors, not only in their food, but also in their cocktails.”
Gabriele Besozzi, general manager of Pendolino in Sandy Springs, Georgia, just north of Atlanta, also notes U.S. consumers’ evolved palates. “They appreciate the depth and versatility bitter liqueurs offer in cocktails like the Negroni and various Spritzes,” he adds. “Some guests also enjoy bitter liqueurs straight or on the rocks, often requesting brands like Campari, Bordiga, and Cocchi.”
Campari—along with its signature Negroni cocktail—has been a bar staple for well over a decade now, with strong and steady growth on the U.S. market since 2010 when it sold just 50,000 9-liter cases, a number that has more than quadrupled since to 243,000 cases sold last year, according to Impact Databank. But Aperol’s growth has been even more explosive, especially over the last five years as the Aperol Spritz became the hot new drink thanks to the overwhelming shift in U.S. drinking habits toward lower abv cocktails. Last year the brand jumped a whopping 40% to 547,000 cases—compared to just 9,000 cases sold in 2010.
“It’s been a slow burn over time to get U.S. consumers into bitter spirits, but these days the exposure is much greater,” says Jason Kaplan, bar manager at Wild South in New Orleans. “Covid also saw more people making cocktails at home and understanding the balance of bitterness that makes a great drink.” Indeed, although the buzz around bitter liqueurs started at the bar, a greater appreciation for these spirits really blossomed during and after the Covid-19 lockdown, notes Vishal Sharma, spirits manager at the New Jersey-based chain Buy-Rite Wine & Liquor. “Consumers realized how simple it was to put three ingredients together and derive so much flavor,” he says. “The retail environment has done well to notice the demand and ride it, which is then complemented really well with the boots on the ground from brands—especially Campari Group—to maintain the awareness.”
While the big Italian liqueur brands previously focused their attention on driving awareness at bars, shifting consumer trends spurred by the pandemic opened up new avenues for exposure. “We’ve historically built the brand in the on-premise, as that’s where cocktail trends grow, but recently we’ve increased investment in off-premise cocktail merchandising and consumer advertising to grow at-home consumption and education around how to make these cocktails at your home bar,” says Clayton Danielsen, brand manager for Luxardo. “Not only have American palates shifted to prefer more bitter flavors, but there has also been a rise in Italian cocktail consumption and at-home cocktails that, when all combined, make for a growing category.”
Category Champions
At Minneapolis retailer Surdyk’s, 53 different bitter liqueur brands are available and CEO and co-owner Melissa Surdyk says that number continues to grow. “After recent renovations we dedicated a large section of our liqueur wall to the bitter and amari sub-categories as we saw demand for more options and more availability in our market,” she says. “Italian bitter liqueurs and amari do very well for us due to our educated customer base, who won’t hesitate to buy the category leaders but continue to look for others unique bottles in our evolving selection. We also draw in a lot of craft cocktail bartenders who have always been champions of the category.” Campari ($30 a 750-ml.) is the best-selling bitter liqueur at the store, followed by Aperol ($25), Averna amaro ($33), Fernet-Branca ($35), and Bordiga Dilei amaro ($40).
Aperol leads the pack at Twin Liquors in Austin, Texas. “Aperol hooked everyone,” says Sandra Spalding, the store’s director of marketing. “The idea that fruitiness can be balanced by bitter was a revelation. It’s now become commonplace. These liqueurs draw predominantly Gen X and Millennial consumers who are entertaining and making cocktails at home. For the last 5-plus years we’ve featured an Aperol Spritz cocktail combo pack and it’s our No.-1 combo pack by far each season.” The combo pack includes a 750-ml. of Aperol plus a 750-ml. of Natale Verga Prosecco for $30.
At Buy-Rite, Aperol ($26 a 750-ml.; $21 a 1-liter) is also the top-seller of the just over 30 bitter liqueur brands offered, followed by Campari ($32; $38) and Fernet-Branca ($34 a 750-ml.). “The big brands have remarkable loyalty and consistency with their products,” Sharma says. “I would ideally love for the selection and category to grow because there’s so much potential and versatility across brands and flavor profiles.” He adds that “young-ish” consumers looking to replicate cocktails they’ve had out, plus restaurant and bar professionals, are the top bitter liqueur customers—but that every type of person across the board buys Aperol and Campari. “They are more a cultural phenomenon and are by now irreplaceable at home bars,” he says.
Andrea Sengara, head of marketing for Campari America, parent company of Campari and Aperol, as well as the Italian amari Averna and Cynar, notes that a key marketing tactic for both Campari and Aperol is making sure the brands show up during cultural moments to meet audiences where they naturally are. “For instance, earlier this year, Campari served as the official spirits sponsor of the 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards, joining a robust roster of like-minded partnerships like the Cannes Film Festival, Locarno Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival, New York Film Festival, Austrian Viennale, Venice International Film Festival, and the Costume Designers Guild Awards,” she says. “And Aperol’s success is due in large part to the brand’s continued presence at major cultural events in the last year, including Coachella Music Festival and the US Open Tennis Tournament, which helped drive overall brand awareness, continuing to establish the brand as a staple in today’s culture.” Both brands also recently jumped on the RTD bandwagon: In 2021, the Aperol Spritz Ready to Serve launched in select markets, and this year it rolled out in additional markets and upgraded from a 3-pack of 200-ml. bottles to a 4-pack ($20). The Campari Negroni RTD ($25 a 750-ml.) launched in 2022.
Luxardo, best known for its maraschino liqueur, has also produced its Bitter Bianco liqueur ($31 a 750-ml.) since the early 1900s. More recently it introduced two additional bitter expressions, Aperitivo ($22) and Bitter Rosso ($32) in 2013 and 2016, respectively. “Luxardo has a long history of producing bitter liqueurs and with the rise in Italian cocktails and cocktail culture, we’ve seen strong growth in all of our bitter liqueurs, but especially Bitter Bianco, which is our top bitter expression, growing 38% in 2023,” Danielsen says. “Campari is clearly a leader in this space and is ubiquitous with the Negroni, but there is an increased interest in exploring bitter Italian liqueurs beyond that product and cocktail to help grow the overall category.”
Martini & Rossi, which has historically been known for its vermouths, has also carved out a space for itself in the bitter liqueur category, offering the Riserva Special ($28 a 750-ml.), featuring saffron, angostura, and columba botanicals, and Fiero ($21), which has bittersweet orange flavors to compete with Aperol. “Our brand’s bitter liqueurs are our primary growth driver of the company,” notes Fabio Raffaelli, North American brand ambassador. “Since launching the Fiero aperitivo in 2019, we’ve been able to provide a new kind of aperitif that aligns with consumer trends.” The brand has also answered the call for more compelling no-abv spirits, introducing the zero-proof aperitifs Floreale ($20) and Vibrante ($20) in 2022. “The rollout of these offerings has been quite successful, allowing us to keep up with the new generation of ‘sober curious’ drinkers while allowing the brand to stand out among our competitors.”
Riding The Wave
Similar to other spirits categories today, bitter liqueurs are expanding rapidly as more U.S. craft producers get in on the trend. California-based Tempus Fugit Spirits has offered Gran Classico Bitter ($40 a 750-ml.) and Fernet Del Frate ($70)—both based on historic Italian recipes—since 2009 and 2010, respectively. While the Fernet is a very small part of the company’s business, Gran Classico continues to be one of its best-sellers on the U.S. market, says Tempus Fugit founder John Troia. “There’s more competition in the greater amari category than ever before, yet this brand continues to be discovered by passionate folks seeking authentic products,” he says. “We’ve seen a lot of small, domestically produced bitter liqueurs pop up in the last few years, which has expanded the category dramatically. We tend to get squeezed between these small brands and the massive global brands, but we still like our chances—I think we can easily grow Gran Classico by 15%-20% by the end of 2025 with the distribution network we have in place now.”
Seattle-based Fast Penny Spirits introduced its Amaricano line of amari, which includes a traditional amaro and a Bianco (each $52 a 750-ml.), amidst the pandemic’s challenges in July 2020. “Faced with unforeseen circumstances, we swiftly pivoted from a focus on trade and distribution to predominantly direct-to-consumer strategies,” says CEO and founder Jamie Hunt. “Initially, our growth trajectory was promising, but like many spirits brands, we encountered a market decline in the latter half of 2023. Nevertheless, there’s been a resurgence of interest in amaro as consumers become increasingly knowledgeable about its health benefits and how to enjoy it, signaling promising activity for the category and our brand.” Last year the brand launched an RTD extension, the Amaricano Shakerato ($28 a 4-pack of 200-ml. cans), a canned cocktail featuring Amaricano amaro, Madcap coffee, and Scrappy’s Chocolate and Orange bitters.
“Our growth forecast for Amaricano indicates double-digit expansion from 2024 to 2025,” Hunt adds. “This growth will be fueled by our efforts to cultivate and expand our fan base, offering engaging experiences that both educate and foster a lifestyle centered around Amaricano. Additionally, by securing placements in more retail chains and hotels, we aim to broaden our reach and accessibility to consumers.”
Last year Hood River Distillers’ Clear Creek Distillery team worked with renowned mixologist Dale DeGroff and absinthe expert Ted Breaux to launch DeGroff Bitter aperitivo ($30 a 700-ml.) and DeGroff New World amaro ($40), which are now available in seven states, including New York, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, California, Texas, and Alabama. DeGroff and Breaux developed the recipes together during the Covid-19 pandemic, inspired by classic Italian cocktail ingredients. “Once they had agreed on the amaro, which was based on DeGroff’s Pimento Aromatic bitters he created in 2012 and that have since been discontinued, they decided to make a bitter aperitivo as a companion to give bartenders and cocktail enthusiasts exciting new options that deliver bold, refined flavors,” Ballew says. “Undoubtedly, the competition in this category is formidable, with Campari and Aperol reigning as dominant forces. Nonetheless, the landscape is evolving, with many new entries diversifying the market with various flavor profiles and nuances. Amidst this dynamic environment, our emphasis on authenticity and natural ingredients and colors sets us apart, and we believe it carves out a distinct niche within the competitive landscape.”
Also last year, cookbook author Meredith Erickson, along with co-founder Richard Betts, introduced Doladira ($35 a 750-ml.), an aperitivo inspired by the Italian Alps. “I wanted to make the drink I always wanted but could never find: Something fresh, tasty, and super versatile, and not a sugar bomb,” Erickson says. “We didn’t set out to make a natural product, but in the end that’s what we did, simply because it tasted best this way.” She adds that the brand has been doing very well, recently launching in Whole Foods after only four months on the market.
“Doladira is a brand-new company and very much a startup—this means we have a tremendous amount of work to do to get people to taste the product, so our marketing efforts are rooted in the idea of very meticulously building relationships to build a snowball effect of advocates and fans,” Erickson adds. “Sales of liqueurs have seen a significant increase over the last 12 months and we would expect Doladira to outperform the 5% market CAGR through 2026. There’s no denying that Aperol and Campari were America’s gateway to the aperitivo category, but U.S. customers have been emerging from that initial rush the last few years and are considering other options, particularly ones that are more natural with less sugar.”