Amaro/potable bitters drinkers here?

I only discovered this realm about a year ago (not counting Cappeletti or Campari in Negronis) and my point of entrance was actually Elisir Novasalus, the 900-pound gorilla of bitter. I'm just getting started but I did discover that I really like Cardamaro either straight or with hard cider. I have Byrrh but it isn't as interesting to me. I also have an as yet unopened bottle of Montenegro in the house. If you drink amaros straight i'm curious as to what you recommend?

I'm no expert at all, but I've dabbled. I've found that I like a decent Fernet, although I'd have a hard time trying to recall the few I've tried without hitting the Google. I'm just starting to mess around in vermouths, too.

I have had some Campari after dinner a couple of times, as well as Cynar, and I've enjoyed both. I started getting into Underberg when a couple places in Portland, Oregon, had the little bottles of it, and it did the trick as a stomach-settler with decent flavor.

Of course, I've had more than my share of Jägermeister while in collage (and a few other times, now and then).

I look forward to hearing what others have to say on the subject.

I used to regularly drink Fernet-Branca at the end of the night. Sometimes with a ginger beer back. I liked Cynar the one time I had it. I think I've tried a few others, but nothing stands out.

Beyond Angostura and Peychaud I am lost.

Beyond Campari or traditional cocktail bitters like Angostura or Fee Brothers, I know nothing about these. But I've been hearing more as the craft cocktail movement takes off.

Any descriptions or recommendations anyone wants to chime in with would be great to hear....

Let me back this thread up a bit to lay some better ground work and add information from my more recent explorations.
Amaro translates from the Italian as "bitter" so all these libations share some degree of bitterness. Beyond that the edges of what can properly be called amaro get fairly fuzzy. Some sources refer to them as potable bitters, suggesting that you could drink them straight up, as opposed to "non-potable" bitters like Angostoura or Peychaud, which are technically potable but you probably wouldn't want to settle down with a glass of the stuff straight up. Some are wine based and a larger number are spirit based so alcohol content varies widely from about 15% to 40%. Italy is the largest geographic source for amaro but drinks that seem to qualify as amaro also appear in France, Germany, Hungary and the Czech Republic (probably more places but these are the ones that export to the USA). Most amaro are only mildly bitter, at least to my palate, and juxtapose sweet and bitter flavors. The recipes are usually closely guarded secrets but citrus, anise/licorice, rhubarb, gentian, sage, cardamon and cinnamon flavors show up to a greater or lesser extent in many of them. There is some dispute as to whether or not the fernets are properly a category on to themselves or a subset of amaro but they are unified by a tendency to have a marked minty note and often being drier than most amaro. The more familiar, easier to obtain amari include Aperol (cirus-y,not very bitter, often served mixed with Prosecco in an Aperol Spritz), Cynar (despite the artichoke on the label that flavor is hard to pick out and it is more broadly herbal), Ramazzotti (licorice, vanilla and ginger dominant) and Montenegro (again not terribly bitter, citrus, cinnamon, clove...fairly complex). Cocchi Americano arguably fits the category and is important as it more closely fits the flavor profile of the extinct Lillet Kina than modern Lillet Blanc does. In the same vein Amaro CioCiaro is said to be the closest modern equivalent to the extinct Amer Pichon. Personally, I rather like Cardomarro (wine based, with cardoon and blessed thistle as primary ingredients but it actually isn't vegetal at all) either straight up or mixed with hard cider and, in small doses, Elisir Novalus (again wine based) which is herbal, very complex and a sledgehammer of bitterness.
I encourage you to experiment. The Italians generally drink amaro straight up, sometimes with a slice of orange or tangerine, or mixed with a little Prosecco or water/soda but they also see use in cocktails. There are several dozen amari imported to North America although some may take some sleuthing to find.

I use Averna or Amaro Meletti in place of Vermouth in my Manhattans, its called a Black Manhattan and its fantastic!

I like Cardamarro. Another I found recently that is excellent is Bonal--it's a quinine based bitter from France. Also, if you like Cynar and negronis, mix up a Trident cocktail. It's a take on a negroni, but it's 1oz Cynar, 1oz Aquavit, 1oz dry sherry, shaven and served up with a lemon twist. Very good!

I do like Aperol for my spritz and Campari in my negroni/Americano.
Looking forward trying other libations. Will see my local cocktail joint can mix a Trident.

Cuttingboard said:

I use Averna or Amaro Meletti in place of Vermouth in my Manhattans, its called a Black Manhattan and its fantastic!

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+1 They are good - had to have the liquor store order the Averna special though.

I am a firm believer in the power of Fernet Branca as a restorative after a heavy meal.

garyg said:

+1 They are good - had to have the liquor store order the Averna special though.

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I had to order it too...took forever! Believe it or not you can us Jeigermeister as a substitute.

Had a Manhattan the other night at a restaurant in Nashville. They used cherry bitters instead of Angostura. I really liked it. Can anyone recommend a good cherry bitters?

eezee said:

Had a Manhattan the other night at a restaurant in Nashville. They used cherry bitters instead of Angostura. I really liked it. Can anyone recommend a good cherry bitters?

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A little off topic but this is the one I'd buy https://bittercube.com/product/cherry-bark-vanilla-1oz/?age-verified=7082fba370

Woodford Reserve Spiced Cherry bitters seem to be the big secondary go-to bitters (after Angostura) for a lot of restaurants -- often in a special "Woodford Manhattan" which obviously contains Woodford bourbon too.

Also seek out The Bitter Truth and Fee Brothers - both of which have a wide variety of high quality bitters.

I find Cardamaro a bit heavy on the sugar for my taste. Nonino is fabulous; a favorite of mine in the difficult-to-find-good-amaro region where I live.

LostHighway said:

A little off topic but this is the one I'd buy https://bittercube.com/product/cherry-bark-vanilla-1oz/?age-verified=7082fba370

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langod said:

Woodford Reserve Spiced Cherry bitters seem to be the big secondary go-to bitters (after Angostura) for a lot of restaurants -- often in a special "Woodford Manhattan" which obviously contains Woodford bourbon too.

Also seek out The Bitter Truth and Fee Brothers - both of which have a wide variety of high quality bitters.

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Thank you for the recommendations!!

Since we have veered off into non-potable bitters territory I want to add an explanatory note about Fee Brothers. These days there are dozens of new boutique bitters makers, many of them producing excellent products. Fee Brothers, by contrast, is old, pre-Prohibition. Every other bitters maker that I'm aware of uses an alcohol base. Fee Brothers uses glycerin. For the most part I'm not a fan. YMMV but I think may of their flavors have a notably fake chemically note and they often have little or no bitter component.
All you really only need are a good aromatic bitter and a good orange bitter to cover the vast majority of mixed drinks. Angostura, despite being omnipresent really isn't bad. I can't claim to have tried even a fraction of the huge range of bitters now available (including Woodford's) but aside from Angostura, Peychaud's and maybe Regan's Orange my vote would go to Dr. Adam Elmegirab's and Bittercube as the best makers among those I have tried. As always YMMV.

Facial hair side note: I see that Dr Adam Elmegirab's is now offering beard oils.

[MENTION=112664]LostHighway[/MENTION]

That's really interesting info about Fee Bros. I didn't know that. I'll have to pay some additional attention next time I make a cocktail with their bitters. Maybe it's related to what you said about their glycerin base, but I've noticed I like their more unusual bitters better than standard ones. Their regular "aromatic" bitters aren't anything special/different than Angostura. However I've also tried their Black Walnut, Mexican Chocolate and Orange bitters.
The Black Walnut is especially nice in a bourbon-based cocktail as it adds a hint of something I could only describe approximately as "maple". That's not quite it, but it has a similar warm, slightly sweet woodiness. One of my favorites.
Their Orange is much more forward than Regans (which I find to be too subtle) but it's not real complex. I like it, but I think Angostura's Orange is better.
Their Mexican Chocolate is, surprisingly, not sweet -- it's a bitter chocolate flavor. Also very nice with whisky or bourbon.

I just can't generate much enthusiasm for most Fee Brothers products but I haven't had either the Black Walnut or Aztec Chocolate Bitters. I do sort of like their Whiskey Barrel-Aged Bitters and their Gin Barrel-Aged Orange Bitters (it probably would not be my first choice in orange bitters, however) but the rest of those I've had and the Grenadine I just can't recommend. Again YMMV.