Lemon does two different jobs in amaro cocktails. Fresh juice supplies the acidity that keeps a bittersweet drink from turning cloying — the Paper Plane is the textbook case, where a quarter of the build is lemon. Peel supplies oil, which sits on the surface and shapes the first impression before any liquid arrives.
In the bottles themselves, Italian lemon is a regional signature. Southern amari from Campania and Sicily lean on local varieties such as the Sfusato Amalfitano, which is why they read brighter and less earthy than alpine bottlings.
Always juice to order. Lemon juice loses its top notes within a couple of hours and turns flat and slightly cooked by the next day.
What lemon tastes like
Sharp, clean acidity with floral oil in the peel.
Behind the bar
- ✦Roughly ¾ oz lemon balances 1½ oz of spirit plus ¾ oz of a sweet amaro.
- ✦Cut lemons at room temperature and roll them firmly — cold fruit yields noticeably less.
- ✦A discarded twist perfumes without adding oil slick to the surface.
Amari made with lemon
Bottles from the Encyclopedia of Amaro that list it among their botanicals.
- Amaro Alpino BordigaPiedmont, Northern Italy · 35% ABV
- Amaro AvernaSicilia, Southern Italy · 29% ABV
- Averna Riserva Don SalvatoreSicily · 34% ABV
- Amaro CamattiLiguria, Northern Italy · Around 30% ABV
- Amaro dell'ElbaTuscany · 26%
- Don Ciccio & Figli C3 CarciofoUnited States · 24% ABV
- LimoncelloCampania, Southern Italy · 25–32% ABV
- Amaro NepetaSicily · 30% ABV
- NocinoEmilia-Romagna, Northern Italy · 25–42% ABV depending on producer
Lemon cocktails to make tonight
Recipes from the Cocktail Lab that use lemon.
- Paper Plane¾ oz Bourbon · ¾ oz Amaro Nonino · ¾ oz Aperol · ¾ oz Fresh Lemon Juice
- Amaro Highball1.5 oz Nonino Quintessentia · 4 oz cold soda · lemon twist
- Bitter Giuseppe2 oz Cynar · 1 oz Sweet Vermouth · ¼ oz Lemon Juice · 6 dashes Orange Bitters
- Averna Sour2 oz Averna · ¾ oz Lemon Juice · ½ oz Simple Syrup · 1 egg white · Angostura
- Old Pal1 oz Rye Whiskey · 1 oz Dry Vermouth · 1 oz Campari · Lemon Twist
- Bicicletta2 oz Campari · 3 oz Dry White Wine · Soda Water · Lemon Wheel
- Bensonhurst2 oz Rye Whiskey · 1 oz Dry Vermouth · ¼ oz Cynar · ¼ oz Maraschino
- Americano1.5 oz Campari · 1.5 oz Sweet Vermouth · Soda Water · Orange Slice
- Gold Rusher2 oz Bourbon · ¾ oz Lemon Juice · ¾ oz Honey Syrup · ½ oz Fernet-Branca
- Kanar Sazerac1½ oz Cognac · 1 oz Fernet-Branca · ½ oz Simple Syrup · Angostura & Orange Bitters
- Rosita1½ oz Reposado Tequila · ½ oz Campari · ½ oz Sweet Vermouth · ¼ oz Dry Vermouth
- Enzoni1 oz Gin · 1 oz Campari · ¾ oz Lemon · ½ oz Simple · 5 Green Grapes
Lemon: frequently asked questions
How much lemon juice goes in an amaro sour?
Three-quarters of an ounce is the standard, matched against roughly equal parts amaro and base spirit.
Can I use bottled lemon juice?
Not for these drinks. Bottled juice is cooked and flat, and the bitterness of amaro exposes it immediately.