Tasting Notes: Lemon, Orange, Rosemary, Sage, Caramel, Cola, Licorice, Juniper Berries, Vanilla
When someone asks “What is a good beginner Amaro!” First words out of my mouth, “Amaro Averna!” Amaro Averna hails from Caltanissetta, Sicily. Averna defines the tastes of Sicily! The smell of fresh herbs, blood orange, and the Sicilian pastries that they are known for. The light bitterness of Averna is what makes it such a great introduction to the category. A great touch to Averna is to add some sage or rosemary neat or add it on the rocks.
History:
Averna was created by the Benedectine Monks and in 1868 the Monks gifted the recipe to a local textile merchant Salvatore Averna. Salvatore began distilling Averna and in the early 1900’s his sons starting showcasing Averna to fairs across Italy and Europe. Averna became widely popular over the years and in 2014 Fratelli Averna S.p.A. sold to Gruppo Campari.
Averna was the first Amaro I have ever tasted as a child. My father Gaetano was born in Gela, Sicily part of the Caltanissetta Province. The flavors of Averna scream Sicily. If you haven’t been to Sicily it is one the most bio-diverse regions in the world. In 2017, I went to visit family and my father’s cousin Emanuele took me to the Ancient Greek Ruins in Gela called Capo Soprano. While walking the grounds he pulled a bush out of the ground and took his pocket knife out and started peeling the root. He motioned for me to chew on it, after chewing on it for a minute I said “Averna!” Emanuele smiled and then said “Bravo! Bravo!”
Photo by: Greg Anderson, Las Vegas
Location of Photo: Herbs and Rye
