Amaro Amorino
Amaro Amorino (ah-moh-REE-noh) is named for my grandfather, Amorino Pinti. Raised in a hillside village in Abruzzo, he went on to open a neighborhood liquor store in the heart of Rome. It was in that store that I learned about the way spirits and wine play a role in daily Italian community.
“Amorino” means “little love” in Italian. As we all know, love can often be bittersweet. So I pay homage to that word and to my “Nonno Morino” with this bittersweet liqueur.
It slots nicely into the light- to medium-bitter end of the amaro spectrum with a solid base of Seville orange peel bolstered by carefully balanced baking spice, earthy notes, and a distinct floral quality.
Amaro Amorino Riserva
This reserve variation on our standard Amaro Amorino is a special treat. Prior to sweetening the amaro, we finish it for at least six months in used whiskey barrels at 100 proof. Bottled at 80 proof this is a more unified but assertive cousin to Amaro Amorino.
Batch Notes
Batch #1 (sold out)
Released: April of 2018
Number of bottles: 478
Barrels: Copperworks American Single Malt (#3 char)
Time in barrel: Six months
Profile: cherry cola, bitter orange, baking spice
Batch #2 (very limited amount remaining)
Released: September of 2019
Number of bottles: 732
Barrels: Copperworks American Single Malt (#3 char with toasted heads) and 2bar Spirits Bourbon barrels (30 gallon, #4 char)
Time in barrel: Six months
Profile: cherry cola, light smokiness, bacon, bitter orange, baking spice
Batch #3
Released: December of 2020
Number of bottles: ~340
Barrels: Copperworks American Single Malt (#3 char with toasted heads)
Time in barrel: One year
Profile: dark chocolate, light smokiness, bitter orange, baking spice
Genziana Fernanda
Genziana Fernanda was inspired by a recent trip to Italy when Skip and his wife met up with his mother’s favorite cousin Fernanda. After a typically large and delicious mid-day meal, Fernanda offered them some of the homemade wine-based gentian liqueur that she makes every year. Skip was blown away with the bitter, earthy, and citrusy notes and a seed was planted in his head: he needed to make something like this. Fernanda shared her basic process and Skip then developed a recipe around that process and around the luscious Viognier that he was able to get from one of his favorite wineries, Lullaby.
This first edition of Genziana Fernanda (using Fernanda’s on hand script on the label) was made in collaboration with one of Seattle’s best restaurants and wine bars, L’Oursin. It is round and fruity and luscious with a complex nutty and citrus notes and the earthy nose and medium bitter finish you would expect from a gentian liqueur.
What is gentian?
Gentian is a flowering shrub found high in the mountains of Europe. The very bitter root of the gentian shrub has been used for centuries in digestive medicine and forms the bitter notes that you find in so many amari and other bitter liqueurs throughout Europe and beyond (including Amorino).
A note on storage
Unlike our other liqueurs, Genziana Fernanda will degrade over time. For prolonged freshness, it’s best to refrigerate it after opening. The liqueur will not “go bad,” per se, but it will oxidize slowly if not properly stored. Kept sealed in the refrigerator, however, you can expect at least THREE MONTHS (probably more) of perfect enjoyment.
ABV:18%