Amaros are technically a kind of liqueur because they are spirits that have been flavoured and sweetened post-distillation. However, amaros are different from other liqueurs in that they’ve also had a powerful bittering agent added, usually in the form of bitter roots like wormwood or gentian, or sometimes bitter citrus peels, flowers and other botanicals.
Amaros can range from very light and not particularly bitter, like Aperol, to intensely bitter and astringent, like Fernet Branca. Traditionally used in Europe as aperitif drinks or as after-dinner digestives, amaros form an important class of cocktail ingredients.
They’re also increasingly popular in Australia given our long connection to Italian drinking culture and our endemic plant life that can be used to make uniquely Aussie amaros – there are some fantastic ones on the market.
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Top image: Husk Distillery courtesy of Destination NSW
