How to Enjoy the Sweet and Bitter Pairing of Amari and Chocolate
Amari, the rich, complexly bitter spirits beloved in Italy and beyond, make a perfect ending to a cold weather meal, and the roster of varieties to try is long and varied, their flavors revealing blood orange to cardamom to cacao.
We’ve called out a few types in the sometimes confusing amaro category and paired them with all kinds of warm and welcome chocolate treats to make cozy autumn imbibing that much better. Often taken neat as a digestivo, these liqueurs pair beautifully with sweet little nibbles or desserts (and provide an opportunity to show off your adorable vintage cordial glasses).
Amaro, in Italian, means bitter, but that seemingly off-putting bitter flavor profile also shows up in some of our favorite things, from citrus to coffee to, of course, chocolate. Morgan Schick, Brand Director at San Francisco’s Brucato Amaro maker of NY International Spirits Competition silver winners Brucato Amaro Orchards and Brucato Amaro Woodlands, says “I tend to like pairing bitter things with more bitter things. And Brucato is very much in the Italian tradition that it all revolves around food. You just can’t divorce the drinking from the eating!”
Amari, originally created for medicinal purposes, come in a variety of flavors we’ve grown to love. Because they are both sweet and bitter, they mimic some of the complexity of chocolate. Of course, you will have to try the pairings to decide which you like best, but here are some different styles of amari, and suggestions for how to pair them with chocolate.
Herbal & Gelato
The most bracing and bitter of the bunch, amari like Fernet Branca and its American cousin Fernet Michaud show bold minty flavors and herbal, eucalyptus notes. Double up the bitter in a novel twist on a classic affogato by pouring a shot of espresso and a shot of fernet over a dish of chocolate gelato. Add a couple of crunchy biscotti and enjoy.
Rhubarb Root & Truffles
Typically made with Chinese rhubarb root and lots of citrus, this category of amari tastes great in cocktails as apertivi, mixed with soda or tonic. Zucca Rabarbaro, the classic Milanese example, shows lots of cardamom and smoke, while the garnet hued Amaro Santoni is bright with citrus. For dessert, we love either with a scoop of chocolate raspberry mousse–the citrus and spice play wonderfully with the creamy berry-kissed chocolate. This group, too, would be the perfect foil to a plate of rich spiked chocolate truffles.
Alpine & Ganache Tart
In the Italian Alps, the hills are alive with the sound of locals gathering herbs to macerate into complex, healing digestive liqueurs. Examples abound, like the robust Amaro Braulio, or the anise-and yerba santa-scented Brucato Amaro Chaparral made right in downtown San Francisco. Says Schick, “pour it in hot chocolate. It’s delicious. If it’s summer, put it in Yoo-Hoo.” The alpine crew can stand up to powerful flavors, so don’t be afraid to serve these with your highest cacao chocolate bars, or intense and elaborate desserts like a bittersweet ganache tart.
Chocolate & Chocolate Bark
For those who like dessert in a glass, Truro Vineyards and South Hollow Spirits on Cape Cod make a chocolate amaro whose botanicals include local sea kelp and cocoa nibs from nearby craft chocolatier Chequessett Chocolate. Chill it and you’re done.
Classic & Brownies
On the amaro spectrum, the middle is quite a friendly place to be. Approachable, sometimes sweet, citrus-y, fruity, or cola-like, amari like Montenegro, Nonino, Ciociaro, and Ramazzotti, along with the domestic dark and figgy Brucato Amaro Woodlands, make a perfect introduction to the bitter side. Try them with candied grapefruit peel dipped in dark chocolate, a plate of homemade, deeply fudgy brownies, or perhaps a Raspberry Rally, the new chocolate raspberry cookie from your local Girl Scout troop. Nuts also pair particularly well with this gang, so if chocolate pecan pie, hazelnut nougat, or even peanut butter cups are on the menu, chase them with a nip.