Amaro Recipe

This is a natural recipe for a complex amaro with an ABV of 35%. I recommend using fresh, organic herbs and roots whenever possible. The dosage—and even the selection—of ingredients can be adjusted to suit your taste. Feel free to experiment by increasing or decreasing quantities as you refine the recipe.

60 core ingredients, plus optional additions of tulsi tea bags, rose water, orange blossom water, and Peychaud’s bitters.

600ml alcohol (75%)

480ml water

220g sugar (+ honey)

Result: 35% ABV

7g angelica (bitter, floral and herbal)

6g artemisia absinthium (herbal and bitter)

3 tsp hyssop (mint and bitter)

2 1/2 tsp yarrow (licorice-like, astringent, sweet and somewhat bitter)

3g orris root (nutty, earthy and sweet)

1g gentian (bitter)

1 1/2 tbs anise seed

1 star anise (star anise is milder than anise)

3g fennel seed

3g licorice ground root

1/2 tsp juniper berries (pine, bitter and herbal)

1 tsp coriander seeds (earthy, tart, and sweet)

1/2 tsp cardamom (piney, fruity, almost menthol-like flavor)

2 tsp eucalyptus (menthol, citrus, and pine)

1/4 tsp thyme (herbal flavor with sharp grass, wood, and floral notes)

2 tsp or 1g lemon verbena (citrus and herbal)

3 fresh sage leaves (herbal, menthol, eucalyptus)

2 tips basil (lemon-pine flavor)

1 tarragon sprig without stem (sweet and bitter)

1 sprig dill (grassy and sweet)

1 bay leaf without midrib (similar to oregano and thyme)

2 tsp holy thistle (bitter)

1 tsp marjoram (fresh, woody, citrus and floral)

3 tsp lemon balm (mint, citrus but less than lemon verbena)

1 tsp skullcap (bitter and earthy)

1/4 tsp oregano (peppery herb that is pungent and sharp with a slightly bitter)

2 tsp tansy (spicy and bitter)

3 sesame leaf without midrib (grassy with notes of anise or licorice)

1/2 tsp calendula (spicy to bitter, tangy to peppery, sharp, resembles saffron)

1 tsp uva ursi (earthy and bitter)

1/2 kaffir leaf without midrib (spicy and citrus)

4 inch lemongrass stick (mix of lemon and lemon mint)

1 1/2 tsp elder berries (sweet-tart taste with earthy undertones. Elderberries are delicious when spiced with cinnamon, allspice and cloves)

2 vanilla bean (only the seeds – sweet, woody or smoky)

1 pinch of saffron (sweet, floral)

2 tsp red cloves (earthy, slightly sweet flavor)

5g galangal (spicy, peppery and slightly citrusy)

3g ginger (sweet, peppery, spicy)

1/2 lemon zest

(*) added after first batch

*2g rhubarb root (sour and bitter)

*3 tips Thai basil (sweet, spicy and licorice)

*3g turmeric (peppery spice with an earthy, musky essence)

*1 1/2 tsp chamomile (mellow, sweet, flowery)

*1 tsp violet (musky, sweet)

*4 cherries (without pits)

*15 g fennel leaves (anise and licorice)

*1 cinnamon stick (sweet, spicy and woody)

*1/2 of a whole nutmeg or 1/2 tsp (toxic, don’t use too much and for too long – sweet, earthy, and nutty)

*1 tsp bitter orange

*1 small orange zest

*1 bulb gardenia (without its shell – bitter and sweet)

*2 tsp rosebud (sweet and flowery)

*2 tsp or 15 fresh leaves bergamot mint (mentha x piperita – menthol and citrus)

*1/4 tsp arnica flower (toxic, no more than 1 day – bitter and acrid)

*1/2 tsp sarsaparilla (wintergreen, vanilla, and licorice)

*2 cloves (strong flavor, no more than 2 days – sweet and bitter)

*1 sprig tip lavender (herbaceous, earthy, and minty)

*3 small cleome sprig tips (aka spider plant – herbaceous, bitter and a bit minty)

*2 very small clear rock myrrh (see picture below – piney and bitter)

Optional

*Optional – 1 teabag Tulsi Immune Breathe Herbal Tea Cooling Cardamom (licorice, ginger and cardamom)

*Optional – 1 teabag Tulsi Original (holy basil, herbaceous with floral and pepper notes)

*Optional – 2 teabags Tulsi Sweet Rose (sweet and floral)

*Optional – 1/2 tsp rose water

*Optional – 1/4 tsp orange blossom water

*Optional – 1/2 tsp Peychaud’s bitters

Day 1: Wash and add first batch ingredients in a jar with clear grain alcohol except for the following ingredients (see below).

Day 2: Add rhubarb root, Thai basil, turmeric, violet, and chamomile.

Day 3: Add cherries and oregano.

Day 4: Nothing. Enjoy your day off!

Day 5: Add cinnamon, nutmeg, bitter orange, orange zest, gardenia, rosebud and bergamot mint. Remove the dried/brittle leaves.

Day 6: Add arnica, sarsaparilla, cloves, fennel leaves, lavender, cleome leaves, myrrh (see picture below), and Tulsi Tea (optional) without its bags.

Day 7: Strain the tincture after 24h with a cheese cloth then filter. Make simple syrup with sugar and 1-2 tbsp of honey. Once cooled, filter into the Amaro tincture (see pictures below). The following step is optional, add 1/2 tsp of rose water, 1/4 tsp of orange blossom water, and 1/2 tsp Peychaud’s bitters. It’s normal at this point for your Amaro to look cloudy. Cool it overnight in the fridge or for an hour in the freezer (important!).

Day 8: If you wish to fine the Amaro to clarify and remove off-flavors, see my Notes on fining and pictures below. Filter one or two more times, then add 6 tsp (or 2 tbsp) of French oak chips after rinsing them in cold water (see picture below). Rest for 3-4 weeks in a dark spot at room temperature. Filter one more time before bottling. You’re done! Refrigerate or put in the freezer afterwards.

Notes on fining: After cooling the Amaro, add 3 tsp of bentonite clay in 1 cup of boiling water, mix it until it dissolve completely and let it cool. Then, use 2 tsp of the clay solution + 3 tsp of white egg and add them to the Amaro. Gently mix and let it rest for few hours at room temperature. You will see the sediment settling at the bottom. Finally, after resting for 5h to 7h siphon the Amaro and discard the sediment. Filter one or two more times.