Amaro Essentials

[Ethan.Bassist.]

Hey guys, I thought I'd start a thread getting some input on your favourite Italian herbal liqueurs. Amaros that you always have on hand in your home bar. I personally don't have any. Not because of dislike for any, but because the world of Amaro is quite overwhelming. Whenever an Amaro is mentioned in a recipe, it is usually always a specific brand. And as far as I can tell, they aren't as friendly to being substituted as say, the base spirit (Think Beefeaters/Broker's vs Fernet Branca vs Jager) think I might go pick up some Amaro Averna though later this week as I've seen it mentioned in quite a few cocktail recipes as of late.

So let's have it. What are your favourites? Which do you find yourself using the most at home? And hey, if you have a recipe to go along with your recommendation, let's hear it! If this thread doesn't fall to Page 10 by later this week, I'll post my own two cents about Averna (once I get it) and I'll bring along those recipes I mentioned.

Cheers!
*clink*

Ethan.

 

[Shaving_CHENG]

I am a big fan of Averna, but don't always have to have it on hand.

 

[treewhale]

I wouldn't swap brands called for in recipes, they are all very different to one another. I am a big Campari fan, I wind up drinking a lot of it mixed with soda, into Americanos and Negronis. As a digestif by itself, my preference is Amaro Nonino. Aperol is nice if you want something sweet and citrusy without too much punch. Fernet is very popular these days, but something about it just doesn't fit for me. Minty.

 

[Ethan.Bassist.]

I wouldn't swap brands called for in recipes, they are all very different to one another. I am a big Campari fan, I wind up drinking a lot of it mixed with soda, into Americanos and Negronis. As a digestif by itself, my preference is Amaro Nonino. Aperol is nice if you want something sweet and citrusy without too much punch. Fernet is very popular these days, but something about it just doesn't fit for me. Minty.

I have a bottle of Campari that doesn't get too much attention. We'll say that I'm still acquiring a taste for it I like the quality it adds to drinks when added in very small amounts, but things like Negronis... Negronis are just too much for me. I will have to try some Fernet sometime when I'm at a place that'll do that.

I did pick up the Averna today... I tried just a little bit when I got home... Definitely had that bitter herbal liqueur thing going on, but had an almost chocolatey feeling weaving in with the bitter herbally aspects of it. I'm doing French 75's tomorrow night, so my foray into Averna drinks will have to wait till this weekend.

 

[Pudu]

Campari all the time; sometimes with soda, sometimes a splash of Angostura, sometimes just ice. Love it. Today I received two Fee Brother's bitters I might try with the Campari.

Recently got a bottle of Aperol and found I couldn't stand the taste - it reminded me vividly of the the fluoride treatments they used to make us take back in elementary school, shudder. That's gone.

I like a tiny glass of Fernet Branca once a year or so. Great for hangovers too - your body has to divert all sensation processing power to deal with the taste and you don't notice the headache as much.