• TrishaCP on January 07, 2017

  Best. Book. Ever.

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Americano

  • TrishaCP on January 20, 2017

    Completely refreshing classic.

• Campari and soda

  • TrishaCP on January 23, 2017

    Great summer drink, on the rare occasion that you wouldn't want something as strong as a Negroni.

• Hanky Panky

  • TrishaCP on January 29, 2019

    This version of a Hanky Panky was a little too strong on the Fernet Branca for my taste. I think we also made a tactical error of using a pretty botanical gin (Aviation) rather than something smoother.

• Jungle bird

  • kateastoria on December 17, 2025

    Used aperol instead of campari, and Smith and Cross rum. So well balanced, excellent

• Amaro sour

  • Totallywired on October 21, 2018

    We make this frequently. Great balance, texture. Most often make with Averna. Great as well with Rammazoti.

  • TrishaCP on February 09, 2019

    This was very delicious. We also used Averna.

• Art of the choke

  • Totallywired on October 25, 2018

    Brilliant drink. Immaculate balance and great flavour. Mint hit really comes through.

  • TrishaCP on February 23, 2019

    I absolutely loved this cocktail. My husband is a bit more suspicious of anise notes, so upped the lime juice, simple syrup, and rum to suit his tastes.

• Averna smash

  • TrishaCP on February 10, 2019

    This cocktail is great. Not too boozy but complex flavors. I recommend going easy on the walnut oil, at least at first, as it can taste a bit overpowering. It’s personal preference but I preferred when I halved the oil the second time I made this.

• Bitter Giuseppe

  • Yildiz100 on June 01, 2019

    Kind of like caramel. Sweet, but well balanced with bitter.

• The bitter swagger

  • Totallywired on February 11, 2019

    Mind warp of a twist on a pisco sour, nardini bringing caramel and mint flavours and aroma. Stellar.

• Black Manhattan

  • Totallywired on November 10, 2018

    A favourite. Just like the classic it derives from you can endlessly tweak ingredients for different results. I’ve made with rye (which I believe is the original recipe, though this book calls for bourbon), a variety of different bourbons, or a split base. I’ve increased the bitters or omitted the orange bitters or modified further with chocolate bitters. Made here to spec with Woodfords for a bittersweet, smooth, deep and rich drink, with a bitter orange peel and chocolate finish.

  • TrishaCP on January 22, 2019

    Not my favorite recipe from this book. The Averna tasted really medicinal to me in this application. If I’m drinking something this boozy, give me a regular old Manhattan!

  • mjes on September 08, 2021

    I drink very little, but I enjoyed this drink. The recipe suggests that one can vary this with other gateway amaros -- this might work well at a tasting party.

• The brave

  • Totallywired on December 08, 2018

    This recipe is a dare. Going to concede that I served it at the wrong part of the evening but I’m not sure I’d be an enthusiast in any state. Mezcal/agave dominates. Incidentally, Makes a good base for an eggnog.

• Cynara

  • TrishaCP on May 21, 2017

    Boozy and sweet, but also complex from the bitters, this goes down smoothly. We didn't have Buffalo Trace bourbon on hand- instead we used Four Roses. Not a light cocktail, so I will save this for cooler temperatures.

• Eeyore's requiem

  • TrishaCP on August 12, 2018

    This is amazing. The combination of amaros makes a bitter, boozy, but still drinkable cocktail. (I didn't have Fernet Branca on hand, so used Ferro Kina by our local distiller, Don Ciccio & Figli.)

• Elena's virtue

  • TrishaCP on January 24, 2021

    The book refers to this as an Italian-style Mai tai, and it certainly tastes as good as one.

• Exit strategy

  • Totallywired on August 01, 2019

    Pleasant, fragrant, with strong orange flavour and crisp finish. Bet you could stretch it out with soda in a highball.

• Fields forever

  • TrishaCP on May 17, 2021

    This is a nice spring cocktail. I subbed Averna for the Foro amaro.

• Friûl libar

  • Totallywired on January 22, 2019

    Bright orange, fruit-forward, gin bite on the finish. Nice.

• Ice-berg

  • Totallywired on January 28, 2019

    Fabulous and surprising cocktail.

• Italian buck

  • TrishaCP on July 01, 2020

    This was really refreshing. It finishes with a nice bitter kick.

• Letters of marque

  • TrishaCP on January 08, 2017

    Really easy-drinking cocktail. The lovely bitterness was there, after the initial sweetness. (We didn't have Galliano but used a Mexican anise- honey liqueur, Xtabentun, instead.)

• Little Italy

  • fprincess on October 30, 2016

    A delicious, slightly bitter Manhattan variation. Picture here: https://forums.egullet.org/topic/90695-cynar/?do=findComment&comment=2078755

  • TrishaCP on May 04, 2018

    This was really nice. We used a maple rye that worked well with the other ingredients.

  • Totallywired on October 26, 2018

    Terrific Manhattan variation, splitting the modifier between vermouth and Cynar, though adding sweetness and indulgence with the triple luxardo cherry garnish. Overall reads cleaner than a straight ahead manhattan and slightly smoother and dryer. Just a terrific drink. Choose a spicy rye - used my regular here, Lot 40.

• Paper plane

  • TrishaCP on January 17, 2021

    This was very easy-drinking. The lemon juice really lifts and lightens the alcohols here. Could become a really nice spritz with sparkling wine.

• Root down

  • TrishaCP on January 08, 2017

    This was a great use of Art in the Age Root Liqueur- it really highlighted the bitter and herbal aspects of the product. We made several substitutions- Peychaud's for mole bitters, a Jamaican aged rum for Demerara rum, and we used MacAllan 10 year as the scotch. I do not enjoy scotch and usually avoid it, but it is barely used here- just adding some complexity and smokiness to the drink.

• San Francisco treat

  • TrishaCP on January 06, 2019

    This is a really well balanced cocktail. You get the menthol, medicinal notes from the Fernet, but smoothed out in a more approachable way.

• Sharpie mustache

  • Totallywired on October 13, 2018

    A number of substitutions here, Byrrh for Bonal, and tried to manufacture missing Meletti with Averna, Montenegro and Pernod. Scrappy’s chocolate and cardamom bitters for the tiki bitters. Successful given the odds. Reduce pernod to a spritz bottle shower next time.

• The velvet ditch

  • TrishaCP on August 13, 2021

    A great use of Montenegro. Smooth but boozy.

• Yesterday, today, and Amaro

  • Totallywired on October 23, 2018

    Fabulous. Typically find Benedictine dominates but small measure here is just right, good chocolate notes from the Averna. Didn’t use high proof Turkey and it didn’t matter. I should make this very frequently so I am leaving a note to remind myself.

  • TrishaCP on February 03, 2019

    Agree completely how great this one tastes! It is very easy drinking. I'm not a huge fan of rye but it was very nice here.

• Ferrari

  • Totallywired on April 14, 2019

    Bracing.

• Aperitivo ice pops

  • TrishaCP on July 05, 2017

    These tasted great! A nice option for a "grownup" popsicle (per my five-year old niece).

• Bitter balls

  • Yildiz100 on December 07, 2018

    This recipe calls for 2 cups of shortbread (crumbled) or 12 to 14 ounces. Since the weight measure was a range, I figured it was tested with the volume measure of 2 cups, so that is what I used. I think this was less than 12 to 14 ounces, and the mixture with this amount of shortbread was very moist and difficult to roll into balls, even after chilling for longer than stated in the recipe. Next time I will use 14 ounces of crumbled shortbread. However, I did manage to get these rolled, and though it was very messy, by the time these chilled overnight, they had firmed up well. Used cocoa rather than demarara sugar to roll in (cocoa appears to be in option in the picture, though this isn't mentioned in the recipe) and this was perfect, as these were sweet enough. The Averna adds a bit of complexity and a very mild alcohol burn-but it isn't in the least overpowering. This recipe is definitely a keeper, hopefully easier to roll and just as good with more shortbread crumbs.

  • TrishaCP on December 31, 2018

    These are quite tasty. They are more like a truffle than a cookie because of the chocolate. I also found it difficult to roll them because they were either really soft, or too hard after being in the fridge to want to come together.

• Food52

  ...is an ode and guide to the untamed world of amaro, the bitter liqueur that everyone loves to love ...but that no one exactly understands.

  Full review