There is just so much to love about amaro, it’s super hard for us to even know where to begin. Folkloric origin stories? Ferociously guarded secret recipes? Branding drenched in old-world nostalgia? Yes to all. But, more than any of those things, it’s the sheer degree of personality on display in the constellation of these bitter drinks that makes them so gosh darn compelling.
The word ‘amaro’ quite literally means ‘bitter’ in Italian and, when it comes to potables, refers to an alcoholic concoction made by macerating a mixture of bark, roots, herbs, spices, fruit and flowers in a neutral grape spirit or wine.
Enter Beechworth Bitters... The brainchild of Michael Ryan and Jeanette Henderson, the dynamic duo behind Beechworth's award winning Provenance Restaurant. Always fascinated with amaro and cocktail bitters, it wasn't until the couple was faced with back-to-back lockdowns that they actually had the time to start experimenting. They started with cocktail bitters and it was only logical step to go to amaro. They use more than 120 botanicals - citrus, fruit, herbs, leaves, bark, roots, spices - with many of the fruit and veg coming from local producers. We're seriously into their left-of-centre takes on such a traditional aperitifs/digestifs - incorporating, yuzu, kombu, koji, cochineal bugs, beetroot and tomato. They've made five different variations. All good for the range of amaro lovers around. There are also two cocktail bitters and a mind-bogglingly good yuzu-cello. Bonza!