The Cabinet: Cynar

Contro il logorio della vita moderna

~ CYNAR ~
Amaro. 16.5% ABV, ~£15 for 700ml
Friends with: gin, rum (light and dark), bourbon/rye and aggressively flavoured spirits like mezcal, cachaca and aquavit. Italian vermouth is a great bridge for it, as is maraschino. And Cynar always matches with earthy flavours, like cinnamon, coriander, chocolate and bitter orange. Goes particularly well with sherry too.

Cynar - pronounced CHI-NAH - is an extremely useful bitter liqueur invented comparatively recently, in 1952, as a remedy for the angst of modernity. I reach for it all the time; its one of the bottles I replace most and happily, there is an old-school Italian deli near me (Licata & Sons, Picton St, Bristol) that never runs out. It is part of a family of drinks known by the Italian name amari (amaro is the singular version). Traditionally, amari are made by infusing grape brandy (or a neutral alcohol) with various barks, spices and herbs and then adding sugar and, in some cases, ageing for a while.