amaro 

amaro is an italian liqueur but also an essential part of italian culture.
it is a unique part of manteca’s offering, with an amaro-led cocktail
list, as well as our own house blend.

italians grows up surrounded by these herbaceous elixirs enclosed in funky
shaped bottles with colourful labels. it is not always easy to categorise
amaro, but here are a few things to remember:

  • amaro in italian means “bitter”.

  • amaro is made from infusing base alcohol [grape brandy, neutral spirits, or wine] with a proprietary blend of herbs, roots, flowers, and spices.

  • the concoction is aged in casks or bottles for various amounts of time, and the finished product can be called amaro if it is over 15% alcohol by volume.

amaro used at manteca

amaro averna

It is named after its inventor, salvatore averna, who invented the recipe in 1868. This drink is produced in caltanissetta on the Island of sicily and is considered a traditional drink. The Averna company was acquired in 2014 by gruppo campari.

jefferson amaro importante

Balanced, with subtle notes of citrus, herbs and a tart finish. Jefferson was the captain of a ship that capsized in Calabria in 1871. He found accommodation with Giocondo in the Vecchio Magazzino Doganale and created the Amaro according to his ideas. So to say the Amaro importante. Ideally chilled or served with ice, interesting when using different cocktails. Awarded the world's best liqueur at the 2018 World Liqueur Awards.

madame milù

Balsamic liqueur with pronounced spicy herbal notes. The authentic recipe contains various manufacturing processes with hand-picked plants from the calabria region such as: chamomile, mint, marjoram, fresh pine cone resin from the Sila, which are processed in separate infusions. Lemon balm, fennel seeds and absinthe are processed in distillation and complement the complex aromas. Natural herbal liqueur.

fernet-branca

it was formulated in milan in 1845 by a self-taught herbalist, Bernardino Branca, who with his sons set up a business to manufacture and sell it. It was marketed as a pick-me-up and as a cure for worms, fever, cholera and menstrual pain. it also became popular in the u.s. after the passage of prohibition laws in 1919, as it was sold in pharmacies as a medicinal product.

it has a higher alcohol content at 39%, and lower sugar content than most other amaro. It is aged in oak barrels for a year. The manufacturer also offers a sweeter, mint-flavored liqueur, Branca Menta.

amaro lucano

It was created in 1894 by Pasquale Vena, a pastry chef who blended more than 30 herbs, in the region of basilicata. The secret recipe has been passed from generation to generation in the Vena family. In 1900, Amaro Lucano gained fame throughout the kingdom of italy, after the Vena family became the official supplier to the house of savoy, whose coat of arms appears on the label.

amaro montenegro

it is a traditional amaro distilled in bologna, Italy. It is made from a secret blend of 40 botanicals including vanilla, orange peels and eucalyptus.

The amaro was first produced by Stanislao Cobianchi in 1885 and was originally called Elisir Lungavita. In 1896, it was renamed Amaro Montenegro, after princess elena of montenegro who married Crown Prince Victor Emmanuel, the future king victor emmanuel iii of Italy.

The famous Italian poet gabriele d’annunzio once described it as the "liquor of virtues".

amaro nonino

Using a family recipe since 1897, Amaro nonino is a careful infusion of alpine herbs, enriched today by the presence of UE grapes aged over 5 Years [grappa-based].

the distillery is in udine, in the region of friuli.

virtù di rabarbaro - aperitivo nardini

A flavour packed with exotic Oriental scents, a bitter rich in subtle flavours with a characteristic brown colour. Its aromatic profile is unmistakable thanks to the herbal notes of rhubarb.

It is produced by the nardini family in bassano del grappa, in the veneto region.

braulio amaro alpino

Born in Bormio [lombardy] at the heart of the Stelvio National Park in 1875, for over a century Braulio has been representing the best of the family Alpine tradition and passion in craftsmanship that have been passed down from generation to generation. As an exceptional blend of herbs, roots, and berries, made from 100% natural ingredients, Braulio holds the inner spirit of the mountains, a complex multi-layered flavour that needs to be gradually sipped to be fully appreciated.

vecchio amaro del capo

it is produced at the Caffo distillery in the calabria region to an old family recipe. This is an aromatic liqueur with 29 different Calabrian herbs and roots. Each one of these herbs has a specific harvesting time. This is why they are harvested one by one during the course of the year. All the macerations and infusions take place immediately at the time of harvesting, to capture the freshes of the aromas.

You will taste the bittersweet taste of oranges, the delicacy of orange blossom and chamomile, the intensity of liquorice, peppermint and aniseed.

borsci elisir

Chocolate brown colour with spicy, notes of aromatic herbs on the nose. Flavour is sweet and fresh with notes of herbs and spices. Finish is long lasting.

Originally, the Borsci family came from the Caucasus. Due to political turmoil, they emigrated to Albania then to Puglia, to San Marzano di San Giuseppe. In 1840, the first recipe for this liqueur was inherited from the ancestors and completed. The recipe has remained unchanged and top secret to this day.