Santa Maria al Monte Amaro 750ml
Santa Maria al Monte is a beloved name in Italian liqueurs. It is rumored that the Sanctuary of Madonna del Monte in Genoa gifted a sacred herbal recipe for the “miraculous elixir of Santa Maria” to the Duke of Aosta. His chef, Vicenzo Castrovillari, developed the recipe into an amaro and began producing it for the public in Sampierdarena (now a part of Genoa), receiving a patent for his product in 1892. Amaro Santa Maria al Monte quickly garnered international acclaim, and it was notoriously lauded by the director of the Medical Clinic of the University of Genoa as being “superior to fernet.”
In the early 1900s, the brand was purchased by established Ligurian liqueur maker Nicola Vignale, and for three generations, the Vignale family preserved this Genoese specialty. Now owned and produced by Gruppo Caffo, the amaro and liqueurs of Santa Maria al Monte are made with the same recipes and methods that have made them Italian household and bar staples for well over a century.
- Amaro produced by Gruppo Caffo in Taranto, Italy
- Over thirty botanicals featuring gentian, bitter orange, aloe, saffron, cardamom, coriander, juniper, and mountain germander (herb native to the Alps)
- Base distillate made from neutral grain
- Botanicals are grouped together according to recipe and cold-macerated in alcohol for two months
- After blending, the infusion is aged for 8 months in oak barrels before sugar beet sugar and additional alcohol are added
- The spirit is aged for an additional 6 months in oak before finally being filtered and bottled
- A nose of mint and fresh green cardamom with a hint of sfumato leads to a palate with pleasant lift, featuring orange peel, delicate rhubarb root, dry kola nut, and a lingering but pleasant bitterness on the finish
- 40% ABV
Enjoy this classic Italian amaro neat, in a Caffè corretto, or poured over ice cream as any Italian café patron in the know might do on a warm day.