Most amari are sweet, monolithic, and designed to aid digestion at the end of a meal. Amaro del Etna breaks that mold entirely. Produced on the slopes of Mount Etna by a 150-year-old distillery, it's a mineral-forward amaro with an unexpected vegetal profile—think fresh basil, volcanic ash, and wild herbs. At just 28% ABV, it's lighter than traditional amari, making it ideal for spirit-forward cocktails rather than digestifs. Why Bartenders Are Obsessed "It performs beautifully in a stirred cocktail where you want bitterness without sweetness," explains Julia Momose, the head bartender at Kumiko in Chicago. She uses it in a variation of a Negroni, replacing Campari with equal parts Amaro del Etna and aged vermouth. "The volcanic minerality adds complexity without bullying the gin," she says. The liqueur costs roughly $45 per bottle—expensive, but it lasts through hundreds of drinks. The flavor profile suits both classic and contemporary cocktails. A bartender at New York's Please Don't Tell pairs it with mezcal and lime for a spicy, herbaceous long drink. "Amaro del Etna doesn't taste like 'amaro'—it tastes like place," Momose explains. The distillery produces only 8,000 bottles annually, making it increasingly difficult to source.