Ingredients
A pharmacy-era formula of roots, barks and citrus peels macerated in spirit and sweetened modestly, in the classic Piedmontese bittersweet style.
- ✦Gentian root
- ✦Rhubarb root
- ✦China bark
- ✦Bitter orange peel
- ✦Wormwood
- ✦Cardamom
- ✦Cinnamon
- ✦Angelica
History of the Brand
Alessandria sits in the middle of the Piedmontese liqueur belt, close to both the vermouth houses of Turin and the herb country of the Apennine foothills.
Gambarotta emerged there in the late nineteenth century as a pharmacy preparation, following the same path as most Italian amari of the period: remedy first, drink second.
Production stayed small and local through the twentieth century, which is why the name is familiar in Piedmont and almost unknown outside it.
It is now collected by amaro enthusiasts as an example of the unmodernised regional style — no rebrand, no reformulation, no international push.
Tasting Characteristics
Dried orange peel, rhubarb root and cinnamon over a dusty herbal base.
Medium sweet up front, then gentian and china bark, with cardamom warmth.
Bitter and clean, drying slowly.
Flavor meter
How to serve it
- 01Neat after dinner in a small tumbler.
- 02Over one large cube with an orange twist.
- 03In a Black Manhattan in place of the usual amaro.
- 04With soda and orange for an easy afternoon highball.
Where to Get It
Mainly Piedmontese distribution; export volumes are small and irregular.
Italian online retailers
The most reliable option; ships across the EU.
Specialist importers
Occasional US allocations through amaro-focused importers.
In Alessandria
Stocked in enoteche and bars around the town.
Where to buy Amaro Gambarotta
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Amaro Gambarotta FAQ
What is Amaro Gambarotta?
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A small-batch bittersweet amaro from Alessandria in Piedmont, made to a late nineteenth-century pharmacy recipe.
What does it taste like?
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Rooty and orange-driven — gentian, rhubarb and china bark with cinnamon and cardamom over moderate sweetness.
Is it easy to find?
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Not outside Piedmont; Italian online retailers and specialist importers are the usual route.