Italian amari (plural for ‘amaro’) are a range of wonderfully complex, bittersweet herbal liqueurs that have gone on to define the iconic Italian digestivo. Here at the Cotswolds Distillery, we’ve decided to create a family of our very own amaro liqueurs using our single malt whiskies, which we think serve as a tasty after-dinner treat!
Dan has long been an admirer of amaro (Italian for ‘bitter’), the name used throughout the Italian peninsula to describe a type of herbaceous liqueur traditionally enjoyed after dinner. The flavour of amaro, as the name suggests, is typically bittersweet, with a thick, silky mouthfeel and an alcohol content anywhere between 16% and 40% ABV. The aromatic liqueur is made by infusing spirits or wine with a blend of herbs, spices, flowers, bark and citrus, to which a touch of caramel or sugar syrup is added before the liquid is left to age in casks or bottles. There are many diverse styles of amaro which range in flavour and bitterness, with each region, and many families, producing their own version of the liqueur - from amari delle Alpi flavoured with Alpine herbs, to the tartufo style found in the truffle-rich region of Umbria; you can even find amari made from artichokes! Although the Italians tend to serve the liqueur neat or on the rocks, sometimes with a slice of citrus, amari can now be found in cocktail bars around the world thanks to their complex flavour profile and versatility.
The amaro category is actually quite young compared to the history of aromatised wine and spirits on the whole. Steeping herbs and spices in liquid is an old-age tradition which dates back to the time of the Ancient Greeks, albeit the purpose of these herbal concoctions was not to satisfy one’s thirst, but rather to help alleviate stomach pain and aid digestion. A few centuries later during the Middle Ages, the knowledge of distillation was limited to doctors and friars who would macerate botanicals in spirits as well as wine, creating all kinds of medicinal elixirs. In the 1800s, Italian pharmacies began selling these bitter medicinal tonics, but it wasn’t until 1857 that the palatable ‘amaro’ as we know it, sweetened with sugar whilst still maintaining its ‘healing’ properties, was first recorded. Around the turn of the 20th Century, the amaro revolution had begun, with over 70 different recipes recorded. It wasn’t until the end of World War II, however, that the liqueur started to be consumed for enjoyment, and, well, the rest is history!
Inspired by this popular digestivo, we decided to create two delicious whisky amaro liqueurs. Our Whisky Amaro Liqueur No.1 is made by blending a combination of select botanicals including vanilla, citrus and spice with our rich and fruity Cotswolds Signature Single Malt Whisky, resulting in a rich and velvety spirit with notes of cocoa beans, orange citrus fruit and spiced honey. Our Whisky Amaro Liqueur No.2 is complex and herbaceous with notes of spice and a slightly bitter finish, made using our Cotswolds Peated Cask Single Malt Whisky. Enjoy our whisky amaro liqueurs well-chilled or on the rocks at the end of a meal.