Sangallo Amaro Camatti

Sangallo Amaro Camatti is Genoa's house bitter. Created in 1924 by chemist Umberto Briganti in Recco on the Ligurian coast and named after his wife, the recipe is now produced by Sangallo Distillery Cinque Terre — the family-owned distillery founded by Enzo Bergamino in 1964, which acquired the Camatti brand and recipe in 1994 and has kept it unchanged in San Colombano Certenoli, near Genoa. Camatti is built on several parts of its primary botanicals — roots, fruits, leaves, flowers, stalks and seeds — including almond, cinchona, mint, bitter orange and gentian, macerated or distilled in groups for three to four weeks in neutral grain spirit before sweetening with beet sugar syrup. It is bottled at 20% ABV in a 700mL bottle, was named World's Best Bitter at the 2023 World Liqueur Awards, and contains nuts (almond). A 2020 repackaging gave it the 1950s-style orange label it wears today. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.

• Proof / ABV: 40 proof (20% ABV)
• Botanicals: Almond, cinchona, mint, bitter orange and gentian
• Award: World's Best Bitter, 2023 World Liqueur Awards
• Size: 700mL
• Origin: Genoa / Cinque Terre, Liguria, Italy

A Century of Genoese Drinking Culture

For 100 years Amaro Camatti has been emblematic of the drinking culture of the province of Genoa, poured across the city's bars and cafés, with a highly floral aromatic profile and an approachable ABV that straddles aperitivo and digestivo. Sangallo guards the recipe with a tenet of simplicity and authenticity, and production has grown tenfold to meet demand. Explore more liqueurs and the wider spirits shelf at Del Mesa.

Tasting Notes

An earthy, herbal nose of mint, ginger, black cherry and almond cookie, a rich palate with spicy cola, cinnamon, vanilla and dried citrus, and a drying finish of gentian and mint, with bright, juicy acidity and well-balanced bitterness.

How to Enjoy

Pour it over ice as an aperitivo, lengthen it with soda or tonic, sip it neat after dinner, or use it as the bitter in a spritz or Negroni variation. Browse cocktails and gift sets at Del Mesa for more ways to pour it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What proof is Amaro Camatti?
40 proof (20% ABV), bottled in 700mL — deliberately approachable for aperitivo serves.

Who created Camatti?
Chemist Umberto Briganti created it in Recco in 1924 and named it after his wife; Sangallo Distillery, founded in 1964, acquired the brand in 1994.

Does it contain nuts?
Yes — almond is a key botanical, so it contains nuts.

What award did it win?
World's Best Bitter at the 2023 World Liqueur Awards.

Order Sangallo Amaro Camatti online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA — Genoa's century-old house bitter, now a world champion.