We chat with hospo legend and amaro connoisseur David Spanton about this delicious and often-overlooked liquor.

Looking to dip a toe into the world of amaro? Or maybe just want to impress that special bartender in your life with a few fun facts? Well, you’re in luck. We’ve enlisted hospo legend David Spanton from Sydney’s Piccolo Bar to take us through the wonderful world of amaro, what it tastes like and how to drink it. But first, what is this mysterious brown brew, and why is it so polarising?

What is amaro?

If you’ve ever worked in hospitality, you’ll be familiar with the particular sting of the popular amaro Fernet Branca (a bartender’s favourite staffie). But if you haven’t spent time behind the bar (and you’re not Italian), amaro may be a bit of a mystery. First things first: amaro is the Italian word for “bitter” and is best described as a bittersweet liqueur. And if you’re talking in plurals, it’s ‘amari’. First concocted yonks ago as a kind of makeshift medicine, it’s still traditionally used to settle the stomach and aid digestion (known as a digestive) after an intense Italian meal. Amaro is made by macerating botanicals like roots, spices, herbs, citrus and even veggies (to name a few) in a base alcohol, mixing that filtrate with sugar and then letting it age in casks or bottles. However, there are no particular rules, which sometimes makes them hard to classify.

Are things like Aperol and Campari amari?

But wait a second, Campari and Aperol are bitter Italian liquors too. Are they classed as amari? Good question.

“If you ask an Italian, they would say: definitely not! As there are no real laws governing amaro like there is in, say, Scotch whisky, bourbon and vermouth, it all comes down to the ritual of drinking and this is something I agree with,” says David.

“You have bitter brands that are more designed for aperitif drinking and they tend to be lighter in colour, with less sugar and more designed for mixing. We call these bitter aperitifs.”

David explains that you can usually separate these bitter aperitifs from amari with a simple colour check. If they’re looking more like a sunset, lighter and bolder in colour, they are a bitter aperitif. Amari on the other hand, are generally darker in colour, have higher sugar levels and work well as digestives. These are known as “bittersweet liqueurs.”

“I simply say to people that light sunset colours are the time for aperitifs, and the darker night colours are amari and work well as digestives. Of course you can drink them any time, but this is a helpful way of understanding what style you are having.”

So, if there are no real laws surrounding amaro, can they be produced anywhere?

Yep, 100% – even Nonno's bathtub (we’re joking, don’t drink bathtub amaro). Currently, there are no rules governing what you can and can’t do, or where you can make amari. This means there are fab amari being produced all over the world, even here in Australia.

“Locally, Mr Black Amaro from the Central Coast of NSW is amazing with its bitter coffee profile,” David suggests.“In Adelaide, you have Never Never Juniper Amaro, which combines their gin experience along with some alpine bitter botanicals.”

If you’re new to the amaro game, where should you start?

If you’re keen to give amari a whirl, but want to start with something a little softer, David suggests Averna. “Averna from Sicily is a great gateway amaro, thanks to its light bitterness and bitter orange profile”

Piccolo Bar uses it in their classic Amaro Sour, a delicious twist on the Whiskey Sour, using 45mL of Averna and 15ml of Maker’s Mark instead of just whiskey. If you get the chance to visit David at Piccolo Bar, this is a must-try.

What does David see as the future of the category, and is there room for innovation in something so traditional?

“I would like to see a return to more bitterness in many of the old-school brands. Over the years they have toned down the bitterness, especially for the American market that isn’t accustomed to bitterness as much as Europeans,” David says. He also suggests trying some vintage (pre-1980) amari to taste the difference in flavour for yourself.

“Secondly, I think with amari we need to get away from them being served at room temp and start serving them over ice with citrus zest. Getting away from the old-school warm and neat – it isn’t inviting for a younger cocktail drinker.”

So, it’s all about how you choose to serve it. For example, did you know you can make a banging Piña Colada with amaro as an ingredient? “It’s true! Try a nice alpine amari like Braulio.”

Lastly, what is David’s fave amaro?

“I love so many of them, but the one I’m drinking right now is Zucca Rabarbaro, with its rhubarb bitterness and campfire smokiness, over ice and with orange zest. It pairs very well with a nice cigar.”

What a boss. Go ahead and start planning your trip to Piccolo Bar next time you’re in town to have the big man explain it to you himself.