The Tasting Note
Bright amber, deepening to mahogany where the liquid meets the rim.
Citrus arrives first and stays: sweet and bitter orange, mandarin, a dusting of coriander. Behind it sit marjoram, a faint incense note and a cool eucalyptus lift.
Silk rather than medicine — vanilla, candied citrus and a light cola spice carry most of the sip, and gentian and wormwood only step in near the end, clean and unhurried.
Short of drying, closing on orange oil and a whisper of root.
Low bitterness, high charm, and the easiest introduction to the category on most back bars. One large rock is all it asks for; in a Paper Plane it is a popular swap for the original Nonino.
Drink now.
— Catherine Hale
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Pour It Into
Paper Plane
The modern classic that put amaro on every cocktail menu in America.
The Amaro Spritz
Lighter, more herbal, and far more sophisticated than its neon cousin.
Monte Paloma
The Mexican highball, run through Bologna: tequila, grapefruit and Amaro Montenegro.
Amaro Sour
Egg-white silk over dark bitter herbs.
Amaro Cobbler
A crushed-ice fruit bomb with a bitter Italian spine.
Where to Buy
Where to buy Amaro Montenegro
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The Bitter Brief
One short Friday dispatch: a bottle worth buying, a cocktail worth mixing, and a little Italian history.