We like and use lots of amaros here at Booze Nerds. They can add a lot of complexity and flavor to a cocktail as well as some sweetness, so are very useful to have in your bar. There are many types available from all over the world (we are thinking of amaros broadly as bittersweet liqueurs flavored by herbs and spices as opposed to strictly those of Italian origin) but the amount of info available on them varies quite a bit. So we decided that we would feature some of the ones we use pretty regularly and think of as bar staples. This week we’re looking at Ramazzotti amaro.

• Nose: Root beer, candied grapefruit peel, bitter root (similar to chicory),  nutmeg.
• Palate: Very sweet intro (also quite bitter to Christa’s palate). Root beer and hard spices (cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice) at the mid-palate. Long bittersweet finish with orange peel and a toasty bitter flavor like chicory coffee.

Howick Hall (by Chaim Dauermann)

• 1 oz Ramazzotti
• 1 oz gin (we used the Voyager)
• 2/3 oz lemon juice
• 1/3 oz simple syrup (we lowered this to 2 barspoons as we like our drinks a little less sweet)
• 1/4 oz Luxardo maraschino
• 1 dash of orange Bitters

Shake all ingredients with ice. Strain into a glass. Enjoy.

• Nose: Almond-cherry notes, lemon, root beer, and a little bit of toasty cumin (probably from the Voyager)
• Palate: Very sweet on the front. Honey, root beer, horehound to start, then lemon and bitter cherry notes on the middle. Fairly dry, toasty bitter chicory/escarole finish for Christa, somewhat dry, bitter astringent finish that then sweetens up for Shaun. Has a lot going on. We like it 🙂

Diner (a Booze Nerds original)

• 2 oz El Dorado 15 yr Demerara rum (though other good quality aged rums would work. We chose this for root beer notes that would go well with the Ramazzotti)
• 1/2 oz Ramazzotti amaro
• 1/4 oz sweet sherry
• 2 dashes chocolate bitters

Stir all ingredients with ice. Strain into a glass. Enjoy!

• Nose: Chocolate, cedar, raisins, tiny bit of black licorice
• Palate: Chocolate at the start followed by dried fruit and vanilla. Cedar-y barrel notes, root beer, and spiciness on the mid-palate. Winey notes on the finish. Little bit of spice as part of the after taste. Nice kick of bitterness at the end.

We hope you enjoyed this first foray into our investigation of amaros. We’ll explore the others  in our cabinet bit by bit over time 🙂 If you have any suggestions for nexts, please let us know. In the meantime, cheers!