Like many amaro, Montenegro also loves to play the lead role in simple preparations, where its well-balanced interplay of herbal, bitter, and sweet can really shine. “Serve it in a highball with a grapefruit twist, on the rocks, or simply neat,” says Natali. “All are great options to imbibe this wonderfully crafted Italian spirit.” “Because of its dominant orange flavor and viscosity, I’ll often substitute it for triple sec in my margarita recipe. I’ll also use Montenegro as a substitute for Nonino in the modern classic the Paper Plane.” “I love Montenegro first and foremost for its versatility,” says Danny Natali, bartender at Ronan in Los Angeles. Montenegro is an iconic amaro featuring notes of orange, nutmeg, coriander, and clove. Region: Emilia-Romagna, Italy | ABV: 23% | Tasting Notes: Orange, Nutmeg, CorianderĪn amaro is an Italian herbal liqueur featuring flavors derived from botanicals like herbs, flowers, roots, and citrus peels, and while a good amaro will always feature a characteristic bitterness-the word amaro means “bitter,” after all-they’re extremely varied otherwise, with differing levels of sweetness, texture, and mouthfeel.

2, in which it’s rumored to have the closest flavor profile to the now-discontinued Kina Lillet that appears in both recipes. If you like your pre-dinner drink a little stiffer, Cocchi Americano is a must-have in classic cocktails like the Vesper and the Corpse Reviver No. With its moscato wine foundation and its pronounced quinine tang-derived from its infusion with cinchona bark, along with citrus peel, gentian, and other botanicals-Cocchi Americano works wonders as a delicately bitter chilled pour before dinner, but also really shines over ice with a splash of soda and an orange peel. If it’s a special occasion, tip it into a glass of dry sparkling wine, perhaps a nice franciacorta from Italy’s Lombardy region. Bake each pizza for about 10 minutes or until the pizza is brown and bubbly turning the pizza halfway if needed for it to bake evenly.Region: Piemonte, Italy | ABV: 16.5% | Tasting Notes: Quinine, Citrus, HerbsĪs the tipple responsible for stimulating your appetite before a sumptuous meal, a good aperitivo should be bright, mouth-watering, and flavorful without being heavy. Cocchi Americano, the low-ABV aperitif wine from the city of Asti, has been performing this function admirably since its introduction in 1891.Place some mozzarella cheese on each pizza and place one basil leaf in the center.Do not use too much sauce as you should be able to see the dough through the sauce.Place a large scoop of sauce onto each pizza and spread evenly across the pizza leaving a 1 inch edge.Place the dough onto a baking peel lightly coated with cornmeal.Using your fingers and knuckles carefully, press the dough out into a 12 inch circle.To prepare the dough, press each dough ball into a flat disk on a lightly floured counter or bread board.Heat the oven to it's highest setting (Usually 500 degrees F.).Cook on low to medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, than set aside to cool.Add the tomatoes, and season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.

To prepare the sauce, heat half the oil in a saucepan and cook the garlic until sizzling.While the Italian pizza consists of a few, fresh ingredients on a tasty, thin crust, the American version consumed here, is often packed with multiple ingredients, laden with a layer of heavy cheese, and prepared with a much thicker crust. While living in Italy, I learned to love the thin-crusted pizza cooked in wood burning ovens that does not resemble the pizza sold in chain restaurants here in the US in any way.

Pizza Margherita is still a favorite pizza choice in Italy today. One version, consisting of tomatoes, mozzarella and fresh basil to honor the colors of the Italian flag, became her favorite, and was named to honor her appreciation for pizza. She summoned a baker named Raphelle to bake her a selection of pizzas to try. It is said that the famous Margherita pizza from Naples, considered the “true” pizza by many, came about when Queen Margherita, while traveling through Italy, fell in love with the garnished flatbreads being sold to the poor.

Italian margarita