It’s a secret, so don’t ask, because they won’t tell you. The widely popular herbal liqueur, Amaro Montenegro, is made with a secret blend of forty botanicals, but they will only reveal thirteen of them!
This delightful digestif known as the liqueur of the virtues is one of the most popular in Italy, maybe because of it’s one of the gentlest amari, meaning it’s not so bitter! It’s an approachable amaro with a bright citrus of bitter oranges as well as intense flavor, great to drink by itself, on the rocks, or in cocktails.
What is Amaro Montenegro
Stanislao Cobianchi created the recipe in 1885. Since then, the recipe has never changed, only the name. It was called The Elixir of “Lunga Vita” – the Long Life elixir. He probably used the word elixir for the fact that, back in ancient Roman times, medicines called elixir were made out of botanicals.
Stanislao changed the name because he wanted to honor the Princess Elena Petrović-Njegoš of Montenegro on the occasion of her marriage to King Victor Emmanuel III, making her the second queen of Italy.
He also designed the bottle himself. Stanislao Cobianchi was inspired by amphorae or the vials that he was using in his lab. He designed the very iconic shape for the Amaro Montenegro bottle, which was actually very clever as it became very easy to recognize the bottle of this renowned Italian liqueur on the back bar of any bar in the world.
How is Amaro Montenegro made
In order to get the sensory profile of Amaro Montenegro just right, neutral spirit is infused with the forty botanicals, to get that satisfying balance between the floral notes, the herbal notes, and bitter notes.
How does Amaro Montenegro taste
Amaro Montenegro has a honey sweetness that makes it slightly less bitter than most brand of amaro, like Fernet Branca which is super bitter. Of the 13 botanicals they do reveal, you can taste orange zest, orange peel, coriander seeds, liquorice root, artemisia blend, white pepper spice, spices of cinnamon, and pekoe tea. Needless to say, it has a high level of complexity!
- Color: It’s an amber spirit, rich and deep in color.
- Nose: I smell sweet oranges and the herbaceous aroma of marjoram!
- Taste: It has a bitter intensity with an orange twist, plus a selection of herbs including fresh coriander and, even slightly, red cherry!
- Finish: Some people think it has a soapy bitter citrusy finish with a slight floral backnote, but I think it has an elegant finish with a pleasing blend of orange and rose!
- Alcohol: 23%
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Where you can buy Amaro Montenegro
UK: You can find Amaro Montenegro at Spirits Kiosk. (don’t forget to use ALushLife10SK to get 10% off! – it’s only for my readers and good on anything in their shop! USA: You can’t find it in the USA yet!
USA: You can find it at Saucey.com!
Try one of these Amaro Montenegro cocktails:
Let me know what you think of Amaro Montenegro by tagging me @alushlifemanual on instagram
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