Cardinal Spirits La Boite Amaro
Cardinal Spirits La Boite Amaro is a new style of American amaro — built on a distilled red-wine base with a custom 15-botanical spice blend by La Boîte founder and spice master Lior Lev Sercarz, bottled at 20% ABV (40 proof) in a 750mL bottle. It is deliberately lower in both alcohol and bitterness than most Italian amari: pleasingly herbaceous and naturally sweet, with citrus and smoke, made to be sipped with a meal, not just before or after it. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- Proof / ABV: 40 proof (20% ABV) — lower than most amari by design
- Size: 750mL
- Base: Distilled red wine
- Botanicals: Custom 15-botanical blend (star anise, licorice, orange, green cardamom named)
- Origin: Cardinal Spirits, Bloomington, Indiana — everything distilled on-site
A Spice Shop Meets a Distillery
La Boîte is the famed New York City spice shop founded by Lior Lev Sercarz; Cardinal Spirits is the craft distillery in Bloomington, Indiana that makes vodka, gin, rum, whiskey, and botanical liqueurs entirely on-site from Indiana-sourced ingredients — with real botanicals and spices, never extracts or coloring. Their collaboration brings Sercarz's culinary spice mastery into the cocktail glass: the 15-botanical blend was built specifically for this amaro. Explore the Cardinal Spirits collection, browse cocktail ingredients, and shop fine spirits at Del Mesa.
Tasting Notes
Pleasingly herbaceous and naturally sweet with a dose of citrus and smoke, per the official description. Star anise and licorice lead over green cardamom and orange peel, on the distilled red-wine base — less bitter and easier-drinking than the classic Italian amari it takes inspiration from.
How to Enjoy
Sip it neat or over ice alongside a meal — that food-friendly positioning is the point of its lower proof and softer bitterness. Or build the distillery's signature La Boîte Spritz: 2 oz amaro, 3/4 oz lemon juice, 1/2 oz simple syrup, topped with soda.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is La Boîte Amaro's ABV?
20% ABV (40 proof) — deliberately lower than most Italian amari, built to be sipped with food rather than before or after it.
What is Cardinal Spirits La Boîte Amaro made from?
A distilled red-wine base macerated with a custom 15-botanical spice blend by NYC spice master Lior Lev Sercarz — named ingredients include star anise, licorice, orange, and green cardamom.
How do you drink La Boîte Amaro?
Neat, on ice, or as the La Boîte Spritz (2 oz amaro, 3/4 oz lemon, 1/2 oz simple, soda). The brand positions it as a meal-sipping amaro, not just an aperitif or digestif.
Order Cardinal Spirits La Boite Amaro online through Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA — a chef's-spice-shop amaro for the food-friendly hour.