Amaro Montenegro

Introduction

Amaro Montenegro is a traditional amaro distilled in Bologna, Italy. It is made using over 40 herbs, including vanilla and orange peels, bottled at 23%vol. This amaro was first produced by Stanislao Cobianchi in the late 19th century and is named after Princess Elena of Montenegro. Amaro (plural “Amari”) is Italian for “bitter”, a type of drink the Italians didn’t invent, but have made into an art form.

Amari are commonly drunk as after-dinner digestifs and usually have a bitter-sweet flavor, sometimes syrupy, with an alcohol content between 16% and 40%. Amari are typically made by macerating herbs, roots (often gentian), flowers, bark, and/or citrus peels in alcohol, either neutral spirits or wine, mixing the filtrate with sugar syrup, and allowing the mixture to age in casks or bottles. Many commercial bottlers trace their recipe or production to the 19th century. Recipes often originated in monasteries or pharmacies. Amari are typically drunk neat, sometimes with a citrus wedge. We are big fans.