Amaro Lucano Italian Liqueur - A Nice Taste for the Holiday Season
By Michael Hepworth
We love Italian liqueurs and the latest one to come across our desk is Amaro Lucano, a drink dating back to 1894 in Pisticci from the founder Pasquale Vena. This versatile liqueur is available in all 50 states, and at a retail price of $29.99 Is a must for any home bar when you feel like creating a cocktail with a different taste sensation.
I started out with a simple lemonade/Amaro combination garnished with a lemon in a drink called Lucano & Gazzosa, and just loved the fresh taste of the drink which goes especially well with pasta. Amaro Lucano consists of about 30 herb varietals which are sourced from around the world, naturally dried, crushed and then placed in a hydro-alcoholic solution and left to macerate in an overnight steeping process.
Once that process is done, the mixture is pressed and combined with fragrant infusions of oils, pure alcohol and pure water. After that the mixture is left to decant in large tanks for about five months which prevents it from being affected by humidity and sunlight. Heavier sediments sink to the bottom of the tank and the lighter ones float to the surface. Following laboratory testing when pure alcohol, pure water and caramel are added, the liquid is stored in stainless steel tanks, when the bottling process can produce up to 30,000 bottles a day.
Because of the vast array of flavors in this liqueur, it can be enjoyed in a large variety of cocktails or even in desserts. You can also enjoy it neat or chilled on the rocks. If you have any trouble finding it, go to www.amarolucano.it or in the USA you can find out where to get it at Domaine Select Wine Estates.
Here are some pretty cool recipes that you can play around with:
Lucano & Gazzosa.
1.5oz Amaro Lucano
4 oz Paul Newman lemonade
Fill tall glass w/ice, stir and add lemon wheel.
Lucano Cup
1.5 oz Amaro Lucano
2 oz green apple juice
2 oz ginger ale
Mix drink directly in the glass and serve w/slice of cucumber, slice of lemon & orange, sprig
of mint and ice.
Lucano Americano
1 oz Lucano
1 oz Sweet Vermouth
½ oz fresh grapefruit juice
Soda Water
Add first 3 ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled w/ice and shake. Strain into a cocktail glass, top
w/soda water and garnish w/fresh grapefruit slice.
We love Italian liqueurs and the latest one to come across our desk is Amaro Lucano, a drink dating back to 1894 in Pisticci from the founder Pasquale Vena. This versatile liqueur is available in all 50 states, and at a retail price of $29.99 Is a must for any home bar when you feel like creating a cocktail with a different taste sensation.
I started out with a simple lemonade/Amaro combination garnished with a lemon in a drink called Lucano & Gazzosa, and just loved the fresh taste of the drink which goes especially well with pasta. Amaro Lucano consists of about 30 herb varietals which are sourced from around the world, naturally dried, crushed and then placed in a hydro-alcoholic solution and left to macerate in an overnight steeping process.
Once that process is done, the mixture is pressed and combined with fragrant infusions of oils, pure alcohol and pure water. After that the mixture is left to decant in large tanks for about five months which prevents it from being affected by humidity and sunlight. Heavier sediments sink to the bottom of the tank and the lighter ones float to the surface. Following laboratory testing when pure alcohol, pure water and caramel are added, the liquid is stored in stainless steel tanks, when the bottling process can produce up to 30,000 bottles a day.
Because of the vast array of flavors in this liqueur, it can be enjoyed in a large variety of cocktails or even in desserts. You can also enjoy it neat or chilled on the rocks. If you have any trouble finding it, go to www.amarolucano.it or in the USA you can find out where to get it at Domaine Select Wine Estates.
Here are some pretty cool recipes that you can play around with:
Lucano & Gazzosa.
1.5oz Amaro Lucano
4 oz Paul Newman lemonade
Fill tall glass w/ice, stir and add lemon wheel.
Lucano Cup
1.5 oz Amaro Lucano
2 oz green apple juice
2 oz ginger ale
Mix drink directly in the glass and serve w/slice of cucumber, slice of lemon & orange, sprig
of mint and ice.
Lucano Americano
1 oz Lucano
1 oz Sweet Vermouth
½ oz fresh grapefruit juice
Soda Water
Add first 3 ingredients to a cocktail shaker filled w/ice and shake. Strain into a cocktail glass, top
w/soda water and garnish w/fresh grapefruit slice.
