St. George Bruto Americano

Earthy, ginger-y. Veryy bitter, orange pith, pretty acidic. Ginger-esqe spice. So so bitter

Better than Campari.

Smells and tastes like an earthier Campari. Also has a bit of subdued cherry.

Get ready for some major Rosemary

Softly bitter and mildly sweet, this is a very drinkable aperitivo. In some ways reminiscent of sweet vermouth married to a kraut liqueur, the flavor is expressive, highly herbal and well balanced. We’ve been enjoying a small glass before dinner, but also it is a great addition to your cocktail arsenal used in traditionally bracing cocktails such as the Negroni, Americano and Boulevardier. Another winner from St. George.

Gave it another shot, in a spritz this time, and it just doesn’t do it for me. Softly herbal. It’s not bad by any stretch but too subtle for an amaro/aperitivo on my palate.

Much more herbal and less bitter than Campari. Pretty good but changes the complexion of a Negroni too much for my personal taste. Haven’t tried it this way yet but bet it makes a great spritz

Thanks to @cascode and @Richard-ModernDrinking , I’ve been getting deeper and deeper into this amaro rabbit role. Aside from that amazing Balcones stout finish whiskey I had last week, it’s been weeks since I’ve had any whiskey...been down this amaro highway full speed. So, this here is Bruto Americano, “ ugly American” in Italian. It’s made from several North American herbs and roots, and one very other interesting ingredient—-the cochineal bug. Yes, you read that right. The cochineal bug is what has traditionally been used to provide a reddish color. It thrives in the desert southwest on cactus plants, and is somewhat small and scaly in nature. And red. So, the beautiful red wine hue in this amaro is from naturally deriving from this insect. I’m honestly not grossed out by it...anyone that’s ever had coffee from grounds, or peanut butter, has a bit of FDA approved minimal crushed bugs in it anyway. So...having this neat is woody, herbal, bitter. Unlike the Italian amaro, where I simply added ice, this needs to be mixed with something else. Unless you like woody / herbal/ bitter, of course. I took a 1-to-1 combination of freshly squeezed orange juice, added this and topped it with ice. The sweetness is more now from the juice, but really well balanced with the woody bitter flavor. And the color—-wow—-red from the bugs mixed with orange...becomes almost like sunrise. At just about $25, Highly recommended—-especially if you experiment with some juices.

a very smooth and not overpowering amaro. milder compared to a campari