I have to be honest I do love a cool bottle and Stambecco Amaro has a great bottle, but this Amaro, this Maraschino Cherry Amaro to be more specific, is much more than just its bottle.
Born in Italy, the home of the amaro, Stambecco Amaro has put its stamp on the category for being the first to add maraschino cherries to its recipe. The name Stambecco is an homage to the lovely long-horned goats that can be seen jumping from mountain to mountain near the Alpine home of the distillery. Master Distiller, Beppe Ronco, works his magic at the Torino Distillati, in Piedmont, North-Eastern Italy.
What is an Amaro
Amaro literally means bitter in Italian. In the spirit world, it is the category of liqueurs made from herbs and spices that are usually consumed after dinner as a digestive. They run the gamut of flavor profiles – from artichoke to, in this case, maraschino cherry. The botanicals are macerated in the alcohol and then sugar is added and some are aged. They can be drunk neat or with ice, and now are seen mixed with tonic or popping up in some fabulous cocktails!
What is Stambecco Amaro
On the shelf, a bottle of Stambecco Amaro can’t be missed. The bubbled glass with its red stopper and blue label makes you want to reach out and grab it. Plus it’s over-the-top, retro Italian graphics nods toward a time when Marcello Mastrianni was a headliner and La Dolce Vita was the film of the moment.
Stambeccao Amaro begins with cherries and adds in 30 more botanicals, making it bittersweet in flavor. They won’t tell us all of the botanicals, but here are a few they shared: sweet & bitter oranges, coriander seeds, marjoram, oregano, wormwood (also known as artemisia blend), cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.
How does Stambecco Amaro taste
- Color: Rose Gold
- Nose: Cherry candy – my favorite lollipop flavor – the cherry Tootsie pop, plus the warmth of cinnamon and cardamom following right behind
- Taste: A great balance between sweet and bitter, subtle cherry hints with the artemisia adding that zing to make it bitter.
- Finish: A velvety, smooth finish with a lingering taste of the cardamon and cinnamon to warm your palette
- Alcohol: 35% ABV – 70cl
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Where you can buy Stambecco Amaro
UK: You can find Stambecco Amaro at The Whisky Exchange. (don’t forget to use ALushLife10SK to get 10% off! – it’s only for my readers and good on anything in their shop!)
USA: Not there yet!
Try one of these Stambecco Amaro cocktails:
Can we served on the rocks as a digestif or it screams to be used in a Manhattan, or should we call it the Stamhattan! Plus, here are some other Stambecco cocktails ideas!
Let me know what you think of Stambecco Amaro by tagging me @alushlifemanual on instagram
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