Amaro Montenegro Liqueur
Amaro Montenegro is a 750mL Italian amaro bottled at 23% ABV (46 proof), created in Bologna in 1885 by Stanislao Cobianchi and still made to the same secret recipe of 40 botanicals. The botanicals are boiled, macerated and distilled into twelve extracts, blended into six aromatic notes, and finished with Il Premio — a micro-distillate of five botanicals added at roughly one litre per 15,000 — for a bittersweet profile gentler and more citrus-led than most amari. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 23% (46 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Botanicals: 40, recipe secret and unchanged since 1885
- Process: Boiling, maceration and distillation → 12 extracts → 6 aromatic notes + Il Premio
- Named botanicals: Sweet and bitter orange peel, coriander, artemisia, marjoram, oregano, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg
- Origin: Bologna, Italy (produced at San Lazzaro di Savena); founded 1885
Elisir Lungavita, Renamed for a Princess
Cobianchi launched his bitter elixir in 1885 as Elisir Lungavita — the elixir of long life — and renamed it in 1896 for Princess Elena of Montenegro, on her marriage to the future King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy. A century and a half later the recipe is still secret and still built the slow way at Gruppo Montenegro's plant in San Lazzaro di Savena: forty botanicals extracted three different ways, assembled into six aromatic families — bitter-herbaceous, spicy-floral, sweet-roasted, fresh-balsamic, fruity and warm-tropical — and crowned with the Premio, the final distillate drop that signs the blend. Find it on the Amaro Montenegro vendor page and in our liqueurs collection.
Tasting Notes
Bittersweet and aromatic: orange peel and coriander lead, with vanilla, floral notes and gentle spice over a smooth, lingering bittersweet finish — noticeably rounder and less aggressively bitter than many amari.
How to Enjoy
Traditionally neat as a digestivo; on the rocks with orange; or in the brand's own Monte & Tonic — 2 oz Amaro Montenegro with 4 oz tonic over ice and an orange slice. More digestivi are in our spirits collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Amaro Montenegro taste like?
Bittersweet orange peel, coriander and vanilla with floral and spice notes — a gentler, citrus-led amaro with a smooth bittersweet finish.
What is "Il Premio" in Amaro Montenegro?
The final touch of the recipe: a micro-distillate of five botanicals, added at about one litre per 15,000 litres of finished amaro after the six aromatic notes are blended.
How strong is Amaro Montenegro?
46 proof (23% ABV) in a 750mL bottle — typical digestivo strength, made in Bologna since 1885 from 40 botanicals.
Bologna's bittersweet classic since 1885 — order Amaro Montenegro online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.