Market Watch, Summer 2020

SUMMER 2020 MARKETW ATCHMAG COM MARKET WATCH 95 PHOTO BY MARINA POUPART liqueur as well as simple syrup lemon juice and egg white As bartenders look to fulfill demand for more and more exotic flavors for guests who are looking for more varied culinary experiences in general well continue to see an upswing in amaro use Moore says Indeed as consumers continue to expand their palates amaro is primed to take on a larger role in the U S mixology scene At The Wilder Jovanovic notes that the modern classic Paper Plane 13 which she makes with equal parts Nonino amaro Aperol Breaker Bourbon and lemon juice is very popular with guests Especially for people that arent so used to having an amaro cocktail bartenders like to use them as modifiers and just accents but nowadays theres been a push to feature amaro as a base spirit as guests have gotten more comfortable with it says Arroyo of Gracias Madre Its a pretty cool trend because amari are full of flavor and a little goes a long way so when youre using them in full on ratios its just an explosion of flavor depending on how you want to use it His 2 Speziato Bites 13 features a base of Fernet Branca as well as Yellow Chartreuse liqueur fresh lemon and orange juices and fresh jalapeño Billy Sundays Andrews favors Braulio amaro particularly for using as a base spirit Its a great alpine style of amaro with so much going on the perfect amount of bitter herbaceous and sweet qualities she says Her Amaro Daiquiri 13 comprises Braulio and Sfumato Rabarbaro amari lime juice and house made gomme syrup while her Amaro Highball 11 is a blend of blackberry infused Braulio and house made blackberry soda garnished with fresh mint Amaro is known as a digestif but digestif is really just a style of service if I took that same amaro and served it over ice with soda and an orange twist its now an aperitivo Andrews adds It can be enjoyed in every which way Aperitivo style drinks have become very popular in recent years as consumers gravitate toward drinks that are lower in alcohol content I can see amaro being used more in low abv cocktails in the future and I definitely see the comeback of amaro and tonic Jovanovic says I love using Nonino because at 35 abv it can easily be used as a base spirit in cocktails like my Ciao Bella Spritz The drink 11 comprises Nonino Chinola Passion Fruit liqueur and Mionetto Prosecco garnished with fresh mint Dantes Pride notes that the low abv cocktail trend is here to stay People dont always want to be punched in the guts or knocked over when they have a single drink they might prefer to have two different types of drinks and have those be low or minimal abv so they can take the edge off as opposed to sitting on something stiff he says That responsible sophisticated style of drinking is only growing The Bitter Italian 10 at Dante is one such light cocktail featuring Cynar and San Pellegrino Chinotto soda I believe well see amaro become a key ingredient in cocktails as the popularity of low abv drinking continues to grow a light and refreshing Highball or Spritz is an excellent medium for amaro says Smith of Cecconis And were going to see amaros popularity rise in a greater variety of venues not just the fancy cocktail bars mw I think of amaro and liqueurs as my sugar content in a cocktail which is why I like to say a little goes a long way says Luis Del Pozo Arroyo bar manager at Gracias Madre in Newport Beach California His Honey Do Right 17 comprises Monkey 47 gin house made honey basil syrup fresh lemon juice and a Meletti fernet float I prefer to make cocktails that are three to four ingredients max that way Im able to pull an abundance of flavor without overusing ingredients and overlapping them Arroyo adds What I like about amari is you dont need to go crazy with them to pull out the flavors you need Front And Center While amaro is most typically featured as a supporting ingredient in a cocktail its becoming more common to see it used as a base spirit or in equal parts with other spirits in a drink I feel like amaro has taken a front seat over the last decade Seeds Hodgson says The most popular drink at our bar right now is surprisingly an amaro and Scotch cocktail The drink she refers to is her Smoking Jacket 11 which is smoked with alder wood and features equal parts Nonino amaro and Monkey Shoulder blended malt Scotch as well as Punt e Mes vermouth and Cocktail Punk Smoked Orange Cocktail bitters Many spirits are singular or dual in flavor but amaro brings a super complex profile that can bend a typical drink in multiple realities Hodgson adds Its incredibly fun to find ways to highlight each brands uniqueness and hone your own palate into an experience for your guests At Odd Job Moores Nostalgia 14 blends equal parts Francisco Chamomile fernet and By the Dutch Advocaat egg The Exumas cocktail pictured from The Wilder blends bacon fat washed Coconut Cartel rum with Amaro di Angostura pecan and chicory infused Osborne Pedro Ximénez Sherry Cocchi Vermouth di Torino and Giffard Abricot du Roussillon apricot liqueur