Brucato Chaparral Amaro
Brucato Chaparral Amaro is California scrubland in a bottle — a bold herbal amaro built from 20 native and classic botanicals (yerba santa, California bay leaf, anise, mint, cardamom, tarragon, clove) in stepped maceration on a California grape distillate, then rested 2+ months in stainless steel. Bottled at a full-strength 46% ABV in a 750mL bottle with no added color and no chill filtration, it was designed as a direct replacement for Chartreuse, Becherovka, and Strega. Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- Proof / ABV: 92 proof (46% ABV) — 750mL bottle
- Botanicals: 20, including yerba santa, bay leaf, anise, mint, cardamom, tarragon, clove
- Base: California grape distillate; rested 2+ months in stainless steel
- Style: non-chill filtered, cane sugar, no added color
- Awards: SFWSC Best Herbal/Botanical Liqueur + Double Gold 2021, Double Gold 2022
A California Answer to Chartreuse
Brucato's home base is San Francisco, and Chaparral is its answer to the great European herbals — not an imitation but a West Coast cousin. Where Chartreuse leans Alpine and mysterious, Chaparral leans Pacific: yerba santa and California bay leaf give it an unmistakably regional signature, while the stepped maceration — each botanical extracted separately, then blended — keeps the profile deliberate and layered. At 46% it has the muscle to stand in anywhere Chartreuse, Becherovka, or Strega is called for. Browse more liqueurs or explore everything from Brucato at Del Mesa.
Tasting Notes
Intensely herbal on the nose — mint, anise, and eucalyptus-adjacent California scrub, with bay leaf, cardamom, and clove underneath. The palate is bold and warming: bitter roots up front, a mid-palate of anise and tarragon, and a long, dry, camphor-tinged finish. Full-bodied for an amaro, with real presence.
How to Enjoy
Neat or with a single large cube after dinner — this is a bold digestivo, not a shrinking violet. It also works brilliantly in place of Chartreuse in cocktails like the Last Word, or split with sweet vermouth in a buck-style build. Bartender territory, in the best way.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Brucato Chaparral Amaro taste like?
Bold, herbal, and bitter-forward: yerba santa, bay leaf, mint, anise, cardamom, and clove, with a long dry finish. It was designed as a California alternative to Chartreuse and Becherovka.
How strong is Chaparral Amaro?
It is bottled at 46% ABV — full strength, well above typical amaro proof — which is why it holds its own in cocktails.
Who makes Brucato amaro?
Brucato, a San Francisco-based producer of California herbal liqueurs; the Brucato line also includes the Orchards and Woodlands expressions at Del Mesa.
Bold, bitter, and unmistakably Californian — order Brucato Chaparral Amaro from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.