The New California Amaro: 6 Amari that Celebrate the State

Traditionally made as an aid for digestion, the Italian herbal liqueur known as amaro is rising in popularity near and far and being enjoyed in a variety of creations besides simply sipped after dinner. While Italy is the birthplace of amaro and the popular brands that have a lot of recognition (Fernet-Branca, Averna, Ramazzotti, etc.), there are more and more domestic producers creating their own versions. Because of the primary use of aromatics and regional ingredients in the liqueur, it is a drink that can reflect the place where it is made. California, in particular, is having an amari moment (that’s the plural form for amaro), with a variety of products on the market that celebrate and recognize the flavors of the state in bottle form.

What is amaro?

Traditional amaro is a bittersweet digestif with Italian provenance, in which a base of grape brandy is infused with an assortment of ingredients, often aromatic (and often secret). The word amaro actually means “bitter” in Italian, with herbs and flowers, citrus zest, roots (most specifically gentian root), spices, even bark being known to appear in the vast variations since it was first made in Monasteries in the 13th century. The infused base gets sweetened and then it ages for a variety of time, resulting in a complex, suitably bittersweet liquor that is best served neat or over ice. However in recent years, more and more bartenders are playing around with amaro in cocktails, as the nuanced layers of bitter and sweet offer exciting flavor discoveries.

Here’s a sampling of California-made amaro, all taking cues from our understanding of traditional Italian versions, presented with Golden State inspired flavors.

Brucato

This San Francisco-based company is all about showcasing the “essence of California” through their three flagship amari: Chaparral, Orchards and Woodlands. Founded by Sierra and James Clark, who bring a background in social policy and a PhD in Food Studies (Sierra), the couple is well versed to create a company that brings together fine spirits with intentional ingredients and social engagement. The business name honors winemaker and founder of the San Francisco Farmers’ Market, John G. Brucato, who started the market in 1943 and is an inspiration for the Brucato ethics in local sourcing. Starting with a base of local brandy, the ingredients for each of the three bottles macerate from twelve hours to many months. The Clarks took time to craft their recipes and continue to be very hands-on in the process, sourcing from small farms or foraged ingredients. Read more about Brucato Amaro.

Chaparral is named for the scrub oak and sagebrush-studded mountain and foothill terrain along the California coast, using yerba santa as a primary ingredient in this bottling, which is a native California plant that lends a bitter, herbal layer. Aromas of lavender, sage and coriander open up to flavor notes of candied fennel seed, spearmint and a slight hint of bubblegum. At 46% ABV, Chaparral is the heavy hitter in the lineup, somewhat akin to Chartreuse and could easily be swapped in for the luxurious spirit.

As the name would suggest, Orchards is inspired by our state’s famous crops and groves. Citrus is a dominant player in this amaro, along with apricots and walnuts. While the citrus lends a brightness, it’s also deep, with aromas of chocolate, clove, cola and black licorice. Flavors of cocoa powder, cherry, citrus zest, cinnamon, dried apricot and wood make Orchards a classic sub for traditional Italian amaros. Cocktail recipes for inclusion could count on this as a Campari-like go-to. 23% ABV.

Woodlands is the dark, brooding third bottle in the flagship series, evocative of coastal fog and forest zones. Fig, raisin, dark chocolate, mint and dried plum predominate on the nose, with flavors of cocoa nib, stewed plum, elderberry and black fig on the palate. Woodlands would be excellent in a Blood & Sand, and the Brucato website is a great resource for suggested recipes. At 21% ABV.

All bottles, $45

Geijer Spirits California Amaro

The beginning of Geijer Spirits, another San Francisco-based company, started when Swedish expat Martin Geijer set out to recreate his great-grandmother’s glögg recipe. The traditional Swedish winter beverage, generally served as a warm drink during the holidays, is most often thought of as a spiced, wine-based beverage. But the Geijer family version relied on a distilled neutral spirit as the base. Tinkering with bigger and bigger batches, Geijer’s path led him to call upon the head distiller of St. George Spirits, Lance Winters, for help with scaling up production.

Today, the Geijer Spirits lineup includes several more iterations of traditional liqueurs, but with California branding. There is a version of Fernet, first released in 2018, as well as Falernum and Aqua Vitae, Geijer’s interpretation of a traditional Swedish aquavit using California coastal botanicals. The California Amaro starts with a neutral corn spirit, then undergoes various water and alcohol macerations, and the addition of 31 botanicals, including rhubarb and gentian root. Birch bark, sea buckthorn and heather lend a Scandinavian approach to the mix, leading with aromas of sandalwood, resin, cinnamon stick and flavor notes of rosemary and mint. This amaro is excellent on its own, but Geijer provides close to a dozen cocktail recipe ideas if you want to play around a bit. 38% ABV $38

Greenbar Distillery Poppy Amaro

Founded twenty years ago by husband-and-wife Melkon Khosrovian and Litty Mathew, Greenbar was the first distillery in Los Angeles since Prohibition. It also happens to be among the first to be certified organic, crafting a wide array of spirits, bitters, canned and bottled cocktails and even non-alcoholic “Un-highballs” and “Bitters+Soda” RTD cans. These are made using the organic Greenbar spirits which undergo a post-distilling fermentation process where the alcohol is boiled off.

The couple bring a rich background to their business, with Melkon’s Armenian moonshining family legacy inspiring the inception of Greenbar. Mathew’s South Indian heritage, and early days living in Ethiopia, lead to a love of food and flavor which finds expression in the Greenbar lineup. Read more about Greenbar Distillery. Their light-bodied Poppy Amaro was inspired by the landscape the couple encountered while hiking in Griffith Park, full of flowers, citrus and native herbs. Distinct aromas of rose geranium and lemon unfold into flavor notes of tarragon, grapefruit and bay leaf. This would be great in a spritz. $30

Optimist Botanicals Cali Amaro

Aligned in concept to everyone else on this list, LA’s Optimist Botanicals takes a cue from the botanical landscapes in this part of the state to create a lineup of four bottlings, launched in January of 2021. However, there’s one ingredient not included in these beverages, which is the base of all the rest: alcohol. Optimist, at the forefront of the NA spirits industry, is a forward-thinking company, hoping to offer alternate options that replicate our favorite “cocktail” flavor profiles. As the first Certified B Corp non-alcoholics drink company, sustainability and wellness are a key factor in the brand (also, 2% of sales goes to mental health services).

Their take on the Italian digestif is their Cali Amaro, made with citrus, bay, wormwood, sage, dandelion root and gentian. This is a very light alternative, with aromas of rooibos tea, orange and star anise. Nutritional facts (only 10 calories per serving is nice) and ingredient lists are on their website, as well as recipe ideas. The new amaro-based Cali Spritz, recently launched after over two years of research and development, is the company’s first ready-to-drink canned “cocktail”. The bubbly, bitter and herbal drink has vibrant gold and orange packaging that just begs for a pool day. Certified organic, no refined sugar, with adaptogenic plants makes this one an added bonus. Cali Amaro $35 and Cali Spritz 4 cans, $22

Ventura Spirits Angeleno Amaro

Dedicated to craft spirits with a sense of place, Ventura Spirits began in 2011 with a mission to create unexpected, regional products. Today their lineup is wide ranging, including a rare California agave spirit blanco and reposado, using agave farmed and harvested from a ranch in Goleta. They also have an Ojai Pixie-cello, made from the famous Ojai citrus and a brandy made with the California nopales prickly pears. It’s obvious that they are always on the hunt for interesting, underutilized flavors and have succeeded in capturing the eye and palates of craft connoisseurs.

Continuing in the Los Angeles theme, the Ventura Spirits’ Angeleno Amaro is made with a base of California white wine instead of the typical brandy or neutral spirit. They add primary ingredients of Valencia orange, chamomile and gentian root to get the distinctive bitter compound. Aromas of citrus, vitamin C and a whiff of sweet, sugared Necco wafer are followed by flavors of tart orange, grapefruit, chamomile tea and dried herbs. They also make a canned Angeleno Spritz that is radler-like in flavor, with a bubbly burst of grapefruit and 7.5% ABV kick. 6-pack $18

Young & Yonder Spirits California Amaro

To balance out all the so-cal bottles, it’s nice to welcome a Sonoma County company to the lineup. Young & Yonder Spirits, a family-run company located in the hard-to-resist town of Healdsburg, is certified organic and makes a small batch California Amaro with 16 botanicals. At 30% ABV, it’s a little fiery and light bodied with aromas of lemon verbena, bay leaf and grapefruit and predominant flavors of bitter orange and gentian root, lingering with rose petal and lavender aftertaste. $40