Whether you like your after-dinner drink citrusy or sweet, one of these Italian digestifs will please your taste buds. Just bring an adventurous palate to your local liquor store and try one of these unusual amari.
1. Amaro Averna
Buy Now: $35, wine.com
The starter option
Region: Sicily
Taste: One of the most widely available amari, Averna’s citrusy zing balances the bitterness of sarsaparilla and other roots that monks used more than 150 years ago when they dreamed up the formula.
2. Amaro Nonino Quintessentia
Buy Now: $57, wine.com
The fruity one
Region: Friuli
Taste: The family that produces Amaro Nonino Quintessentia has specialized in grappa since 1897, a legacy that has its advantages—namely, easy access to high-quality grapes that, with the tang of bitter orange, give Nonino a fruitier flavor.
3. Amaro Sibilla
Buy Now: $55, astorwines.com
For sweet teeth
Region: Marche
Taste: The folks who make Amaro Sibilla are mum about the recipe except for two facts: The herbal mix is prepared over a wood fire, and the drink’s sweetness comes from a honey sourced in the Sibillini Mountains.
4. Amaro Braulio
Buy Now: $55, astorwines.com
Bartender’s choice
Region: Lombardy
Taste: There was so much enthusiasm for the smooth flavors of Amaro Braulio in the drink industry, its tiny producer made it available in America for the first time in 2013. So what’s all the fuss about? Thanks to juniper, peppermint, and other alpine botanicals, it’s like a forest in a bottle.
5. Amaro al Tartufo
Buy Now: $71, itwineclub.com
For open minds
Region: Umbria
Taste: Why hasn’t Amaro al Tartufo caught on in the United States yet? It tastes like liquid black licorice with a faint earthy funk. The latter comes from Umbrian truffles. Order it online—and keep an open mind.
Products we write about are independently vetted and recommended by our editors. We may earn a commission if you buy through our links.
>> Next: 6 Classic Italian Cocktails to Make at Home When You’re Craving Italy
