Amaro—the Italian digestif category—exploded in the 2000s when Fernet-Branca became the bartender's after-shift drink. The category calcified around dark, licorice-forward profiles. That's changing. Producers in Piedmont, Sicily, and Veneto are experimenting with local herbs, shorter maceration times, and lower alcohol to let delicate botanicals shine. Five Bottles Worth Finding Luxardo Amaro Abano (38% ABV) leads with wormwood and gentian—almost vermouth-like. Balsam Rakia from Croatia's Badel uses pine bark and moss for something almost feral. Calisaya from Uruguay (founded 1870, recently revived) features cinchona bark and citrus. Montenegro still anchors the category, but newcomers like Braulio (from Valtelline) add complexity with wildflower honey and 30+ herbs. Nonino's Amaro is lighter and more floral than its Grappa sibling. "We're returning to what amaro was before marketing made it about one flavor," says Marco Reitano, fourth-generation Luxardo family member. Sip them neat, on ice, or in a Negroni variation. The lower-alcohol options work brilliantly in tall drinks with tonic and citrus.