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What Does Amaro Taste Like?
Despite the name, an amaro may have varying degrees of bitterness and may actually taste sweet (find a short list of amari from easy to intense here).
The recipes are as varied as the Italian landscape and as secret as nonna’s tomato sauce. The combinations of herbs, roots, flowers, and spices — determined by the plants found in different regions — are intended to stimulate the stomach and aid in digestion after a meal.
“Taking in small amounts of plant toxins is medicinal, killing off all sorts of harmful microorganisms hanging out in our bodies,” writes Bitterman. “In the right doses, these dangerous substances are actually helpful.”
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Aside from the practical benefits, amaro is meant to be slowly sipped neat, or with a citrus wedge, ice, or tonic water — offering an excellent excuse to linger over lunch and dally after dinner.
My favorite amaro is Averna, who pinch-hits for sweet vermouth to create the Black Manhattan. Averna was originally developed by the Benedictine monks of Abbazia Di Santo Spirito, who gave the blueprint to Salvatore Averna, a textile merchant, in 1868. By 1895, Salvatore’s son was selling it to other countries; in 1912, the King of Italy Vittorio Emanuele III gave Averna the right to print the royal coat of arms on its label along with the words “Royal Household Patent.” Since then, it has spread throughout the world. The recipe hasn’t changed since 1868 and the royal coat of arms is still on the label. (Source.)
