The Big Book of Amaro

The heart of this book is a regionally-organized collection of profiles and tasting notes on more than 250 amaros, primarily from Italy, but from elsewhere in Europe and the world as well.

An amaro is a bitter-flavored liqueur, traditionally consumed as a digestif, but nowadays finding its way into cocktails and, occasionally, into food. Matteo Zed (the professional name of Matteo Zamberlan) is an Italian native who has devoted much of his career as a bartender to exploring the range of amaros and discovering new ways to employ their complex flavors.

With amaros from all 20 of Italy's regions, he can introduce you to concoctions as varied as Amaro Albergian from Turin, with an aromatic bouquet of alpine herbs and flowers and a floral aftertaste with a hint of almond. Or perhaps you'd prefer L'Amaro di Baragiano from Basilicata, the flavor of which varies annual with the local chicory harvest. There are plenty more to choose from.

There are recipes for drinks and food, the latter coming from restaurants around Italy.

Hardcover. Color photographs throughout.