The last time I put together a lineup of “new look” amari was in the spring of 2020, when most bars around the country were closed and the opportunity to go out and enjoy an amaro with friends seemed like it might never return. Things have changed, not only in the landscape of bar and restaurant openings but in the amaro market, too. Now, with a number of new-school releases on my radar, it’s time to take a closer look at the essential bottles to try. (If you’re looking for my thoughts on must-have classic amaro expressions, don’t worry; we have that, too.)
This group of 10 amari and bitter liqueurs hails from Italy, Germany and the United States, where the nearly decadelong boom of regionally inspired domestic amaro shows no sign of stopping. Some are brand-new releases, while others have been around for a few years and are either just now getting the attention they deserve or are finally distributed widely enough for most to seek out. Across the board, these bottles represent the intersection of Old World and New, whether it’s modern producers bringing a contemporary point of view to a historic category, or recent European imports championing the ethos that everything old is new again.
