I always enjoying expanding my horizons; particularly when those horizons just so happen to be sippable … and intoxicating. After all, variety is the spice of life, no? That is why I carpe’d that diem when I was presented with the opportunity to sample Amaro Lucano, a traditional Italian liqueur in the amaro category.

I am going to have to go ahead and admit that I felt inclined to do a little digging to find out what exactly, constitutes an amaro. In case you’re as clueless as I was, an amaro is a bittersweet Italian digestif, frequently served neat, chilled, or over ice. Here’s a well-written piece by Food and Wine, characterizing amaro in lovely detail that I won’t go into here.

Amaro Lucano dates back to 1894, where it was dreamt up in the back room of a cookie bakery. The secret recipe contains more than 30 herbs, most notably: Roman absinthe and absinthe woodworm. (Seriously, I want to visit this bakery…) But don’t worry, Amaro Lucano has an ABV of just 28%, so fortunately (?), that pesky green fairy won’t be accompanying your after-dinner nightcap. The good folks at Amaro Lucano recommend sipping this libation neat, chilled, over ice, or with orange zest … but also advise that Amaro Lucano makes a perfect base for cocktails.

Before I started dabbling in any cocktail creations, I decided we should probably try the Amaro Lucano neat, as an after-dinner tipple, because it’s just so damn continental. Since I consider myself a terribly sophisticated lady (hehehehe), I knew this was the drink for me. My first impression of the Amaro Lucano was that I couldn’t even think of anything to compare it to. The alcoholic powers that be aren’t kidding when they characterize amaros as bitter. The Amaro Lucano is unapologetically bitter, bold, and spicy. It would be difficult to describe the complexity of the flavor with mere words, but “peppery” and “minty” are two that come to mind. I believe this family of liqueurs is probably falls into the category of “acquired tastes,” and I believe I will require a few more trials before I can say I have officially “acquired” said taste.

That being said, I decided it was time to embrace my uncouth American roots and try the Amaro Lucano in a cocktail.

Enter the…

Lucano Cobbler
1.5 oz Amaro Lucano
3 oz red wine
0.5 oz tonic water
0.5 oz sugar syrup

Mix the drink directly in the glass and serve with a slice of lemon and orange, a sprig of mint, fruits of the forest and ice.

I’m going to go ahead and suggest that, if you are new to amaros, you consider starting here. Let me be clear: the Lucano Cobbler still packs a boldly spicy, bitter punch, as cocktails go, but from a newbie’s perspective, the red wine and simple syrup transition this experience from one you aren’t sure if you’re enjoying, to one that becomes increasingly enjoyable as you continue to sip. The blend of sweet and spicy is rich and heady, and lends itself to being an interesting digestif that doesn’t totally knock your socks off with a bitter assault.

Here are some additional dessert cocktails you might consider sampling, if you are an amaro rookie, like me:

Lucano Ice Cream
3 white sugar cubes
0.5 oz of still water
2 scoops of cream flavour ice cream
3 bar spoons of Amaro Lucano

Put the sugar cubes in the shaker and add 25 ml of still water, add two scoops of cream flavour ice cream. Then add three bar spoons of Amaro Lucano and shake. 

Espresso Lucano
1 long espresso
0.5 oz liquid sugar
1 oz Amaro Lucano

Pour ingredients into a glass. Mix and serve.

*Amaro Lucano generously provided me with a bottle of Amaro Lucano to taste and test.