Alpine experts are here to help!
Meaning “bitter” in Italian, amaro is a category of bittersweet liqueur meant to be enjoyed as an aperitif (before dinner) or digestif (after dinner). With a breadth of options, the herbal palate cleansers ease digestion and taste wonderful, too.
The restorative properties of herbs, roots and other botanicals date back to ancient Greeks and Arabs of Medieval times. Monks with secret recipes infused bittering agents with neutral spirits to make tinctures prescribed for any number of ailments.
These herbal beverages are often served as a spritz or as a cocktail enhancer, but they make a fine experience as a standalone tipple, either neat or over ice. How do you choose? Jason Swaringen and Taurean Philpott worked together to showcase a range of amari not only to please all palates, but also to complement the modern alpine menu of Avize, a new restaurant on the Westside.
“Being an alpine restaurant, we like to highlight amari produced in and around alpine regions, but are certainly not limited to those,” Swaringen says. “We also include some herbal liqueurs that we believe function much like an amaro, for example, Zirbenz, an Austrian stone pine liqueur,” he says. Chartreuse and Jägermeister, from France and Germany respectively, are also on the menu. Avize also has a farm from which many ingredients are sourced, and farmer Grant Wallace uses an abundance of black walnuts from the Bremen Farms property to develop a locally made Nocino liquor Swaringen hopes to showcase soon.
Swaringen’s suggestions for introductory amari are Amaro Montenegro and Amaro Nonino. “They are less intense in bitterness and have heavier notes of macerated citrus peel along with light spices,” he says. A less mainstream option would be Pasubio Vino Amaro by the producer Cappelletti. “It’s a wine-based amaro best served chilled. It tastes like blueberries and pine, and has a low alcohol content of 17%.”
Swaringen’s favorites include Amaro Lucano, Braulio and Cynar. Lucano is made from 30 different botanicals including wormwood, bitter orange, gentian, angelica, holy thistle flower and rue. “It’s really approachable and has this wonderful cinnamon body and burnt caramel-like sweetness,” Swaringen says. Amber colored Braulio ages in barrels of Slavonian oak with a secret formula including gentian, juniper, wormwood and yarrow. “It tastes of the mountains with heavy notes of pine and spearmint that transport you right to the mountaintop,” he says.
Made from the leaves of the artichoke in an infusion of 13 botanicals, Cynar is a bit vegetal, bracing and bitter. “I like Cynar because it is well balanced between sweet and bitter, and has elements of tobacco and cola,” Swaringen says. Philpott loves Zucca, made with Chinese rhubarb, cardamom and citrus zest among other proprietary ingredients. “It has great balance and richness, and a distinct baking spice and coffee character to it,” he says.
Beyond a menu of classic cocktails such as the Black Manhattan and Hanky Panky that incorporate amaro, guests will notice many bottles used in cocktails on Avize bar. In Sultry & Brooding, a French 75 riff, there is a subtle addition of Fernet Branca. “Just a small amount gives the familiar classic extra depth, along with a lovely eucalyptus finish,” Swaringen says. The garnish of a painted “skirt” of dehydrated mint, sugar and salt highlights the refreshing pop.
Old Man of the Woods is an Old Fashioned-inspired cocktail poured tableside over a hand cut, emerald-shaped ice cube. It’s a beautiful spectacle to watch if you are at the bar when Swaringen cuts it. “Zirbenz offers sharp pine notes that play well with the spices in Michter’s Rye and an herbaceous house made bay laurel gomme syrup (simple syrup alternative),” Swaringen says.
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