Ingredients
A maceration of some twenty-five herbs and roots in neutral alcohol, left its natural amber colour rather than dyed red.
- ✦Wormwood
- ✦Gentian root
- ✦Bitter orange peel
- ✦Hyssop
- ✦Rhubarb root
- ✦Mint
- ✦Juniper
- ✦Angelica root
History of the Brand
The recipe descends from the Turin bitter tradition of the 1860s, when red bitters and vermouth were being codified in Piedmont.
It survived in Switzerland at the Matter-Luginbühl distillery in Kallnach, outside Bern.
Tempus Fugit Spirits brought it back to the American market in 2010, and bartenders adopted it fast as a bitter with more herbal depth than Campari.
Crucially, it carries no artificial colouring — the amber tone is the maceration itself.
Tasting Characteristics
Wormwood, orange peel and cool mint.
Bitterer and more herbal than Campari, with gentian, rhubarb and a savoury hyssop note.
Dry, long and firmly bitter.
Flavor meter
How to serve it
- 01In a Negroni in place of Campari for a drier, herbier build.
- 02With soda and an orange twist.
- 03Split-based in a Boulevardier.
- 04Neat, chilled, before a rich meal.
Where to Get It
Widely available in the US and Europe through Tempus Fugit's distribution.
Cocktail-focused bottle shops
A standard stock item, $35–$45.
Online spirits retailers
Search 'Gran Classico Bitter'.
Good cocktail bars
Often poured as the house Negroni bitter.
Where to buy Gran Classico Bitter
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Gran Classico Bitter FAQ
Can I use Gran Classico instead of Campari?
+
Yes — it makes a drier, more herbal Negroni. Use it one-for-one and expect less sweetness.
Why isn't it red?
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No artificial colouring is added, so the liqueur keeps the natural amber tone of its botanical maceration.