Santa Maria al Monte Amaro Antica Specialità Ligure
Santa Maria al Monte Amaro Antica Specialità Ligure is a historic Genoese bitter with roots in the 19th century. House legend holds that the Sanctuary of Madonna del Monte in Genoa gave its herbal recipe to the Duke of Aosta, whose chef turned it into an amaro produced in Sampierdarena; the recipe was patented in 1892, and in the early 1900s liqueur maker Nicola Vignale bought the brand — his family ran it for three generations before Gruppo Caffo took over production using the original recipe and methods. The amaro is built on more than thirty botanicals, including gentian, bitter orange, aloe, saffron, cardamom, coriander, juniper and Alpine mountain germander, grouped by recipe and cold-macerated in neutral grain spirit for two months, aged eight months in oak, sweetened with beet sugar, then rested a further six months in oak before bottling at 40% ABV in a 700mL bottle. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- Proof / ABV: 80 proof (40% ABV)
- Botanicals: 30+ incl. gentian, bitter orange, saffron, cardamom and juniper
- Production: Cold-macerated 2 months, aged 8 months in oak + 6 months rest
- Size: 700mL
- Origin: Genoa, Liguria, Italy
Patented in 1892, Still Made the Slow Way
Skurnik, the US importer, confirms the full slow process: botanicals grouped according to the recipe, cold-macerated for two months, aged eight months in oak barrels before beet sugar is added, then aged six more months. That patience is why this amaro was judged "superior to fernet" in its early days. Explore more liqueurs and the wider spirits shelf at Del Mesa.
Tasting Notes
Mint and fresh green cardamom on the nose, with orange peel, rhubarb root and dry kola nut on the palate, and a long, pleasant bitterness on the finish.
How to Enjoy
Sip it neat after dinner, pour it into a caffè corretto, or drizzle it over ice cream, as Italian café patrons in the know do on a warm day. Browse cocktails and gift sets at Del Mesa for more Italian bitters.
Frequently Asked Questions
What proof is this amaro?
80 proof (40% ABV), bottled in 700mL — full strength for an amaro.
How is it aged?
After a two-month cold maceration, it ages eight months in oak, is sweetened with beet sugar, then rests six further months in oak.
Who produces it now?
Gruppo Caffo, using the original recipe patented in 1892 and carried by the Nicola Vignale family for three generations.
What botanicals are in it?
More than thirty, including gentian, bitter orange, aloe, saffron, cardamom, coriander, juniper and Alpine mountain germander.
Order Santa Maria al Monte Amaro Antica Specialità Ligure online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA — a true Genoese digestivo, aged the slow way.