Ingredients
The Averna infusion of Sicilian citrus peel, herbs, roots and essential oils, blended at higher strength and matured in wood before bottling.
- ✦Sicilian bitter orange peel
- ✦Lemon peel
- ✦Pomegranate
- ✦Myrtle
- ✦Juniper
- ✦Liquorice
- ✦Rosemary
- ✦Gentian
History of the Brand
The Averna recipe came from the Benedictine abbey of Santo Spirito in Caltanissetta, handed to Salvatore Averna in 1868 in thanks for his support of the monks.
For 150 years the house bottled essentially one product; the Riserva, named for that first Salvatore, was released as a premium expression aimed at the amaro revival.
Higher proof and oak resting change the balance completely: the caramel sweetness that defines standard Averna recedes and the citrus and wood spice step forward.
It is designed for sipping neat and for stirred drinks that would flatten the 29% original.
Tasting Characteristics
Orange marmalade, vanilla, toasted oak and dried herbs.
Caramel and burnt orange, then bitter root and cask spice; fuller and drier than standard Averna.
Warm, long and lightly tannic, with liquorice and citrus oil.
Flavor meter
How to serve it
- 01Neat in a small tumbler after dinner.
- 02Over one large cube with a wide orange twist.
- 03In a Black Manhattan for a deeper, oakier result.
- 04In an Averna Sour where the extra proof carries the lemon.
Where to Get It
Sold in Italy and through better spirits retailers abroad; less common than standard Averna.
Specialist bottle shops
The usual home for the Riserva.
Online spirits retailers
Ship across the EU, UK and US.
Italian duty free
Frequently stocked at Sicilian and Milanese airports.
Where to buy Averna Riserva Don Salvatore
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Averna Riserva Don Salvatore FAQ
How is the Riserva different from standard Averna?
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It is bottled at 34% ABV instead of 29% and rested in oak, giving a drier, spicier and more structured drink.
Who was Don Salvatore?
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Salvatore Averna, who received the amaro recipe from the monks of Santo Spirito in Caltanissetta in 1868.
Is it worth using in cocktails?
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Yes — the higher proof holds up in Manhattans and sours where the standard bottle can taste thin.