Amaro Lucano. This is one of the most well-known and popular bittersweet liqueurs (“amaro”) in Italy. It’s been on my wishlist since I got back from my Italy trip over a year ago, where I spent a good chunk of time scouring all the backbars, grocery store shelves, and coffeeshops doing field research on what locals drank. You know, just normal vacation things. 😉 So, imagine my delight to get a collab opportunity to try out some Lucano products! Got a couple recipes to share this week, but first things first, let’s talk amaro.

The Amaro Lucano liqueur hails from South Italy and has been around since the late 1800s, and actually served as an official supplier to the House of Savoy, the then-ruling royalty of the Kingdom of Italy.

Amaro flavors are always hard to describe, as their recipes are usually ultra complex and secretive; Lucano is no exception, containing over 30 herbs. Tastewise, to me the prominent flavors are ginger, vanilla, and cinnamon. I’ve never seen anyone else describe it like that (maybe my taste buds are off?) but in my opinion, it has a strong aroma reminiscent of a freshly opened can of cola. It’s medium bodied for an amaro – not as thick as Averna, but not as thin as Cynar. It’s also not super sweet or super bitter in the spectrum of amaro out there, making it a great intro bottle for people just venturing into the category.

Definitely love finally having this in my collection! Check out some of these awesome limited edition packaging Lucano bottles I spied from aforementioned research (those prices!).