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The original red bitter is vivid scarlet, with a grapefruit peel-like aroma and flavor. The palate is bitter and bright, with a lighter body than many liqueurs and a hint of cinnamon on the bracing exit. Classic for mixing into a wide range of cocktails. (KN)

Rich, fruity and enticing, this sweet vermouth is warmed with notes of fig and dried cherries, and just faint hints of spiced gingerbread and bitter orange peel. Drinkable solo as an apéritif, or use it as a cocktail-mixing favorite. (KN)

Eye-catchingly lurid red-orange, this classic liqueur has a mellow orange-y aroma. Though it's considered an aperitivo bitter, the vibrant flavor is more sweet-bitter than bittersweet, channeling orange and grapefruit peels. The viscosity, color and sweetness lends presence to Spritzes and other cocktails. (KN)

Cocchi makes my favorite red vermouth. I use it for Manhattan’s, in a Negroni, or in my favorite Champagne cocktail, the Negroni Sbagliato. If you are interested in seeing the recipe, search "Negroni Sbagliato" on the blog (blog.klwines.com) to find it, complete with video. If you don’t mind waiting, you can also send me an email with the button above, and I’ll send you the link.

Sarti Rosa is a thoroughly modern Italian aperitivo built on a surprisingly deep foundation. Casa Luigi Sarti & Figli was established in Bologna in 1885, earning a reputation for creative, distinctive liqueurs before the Sarti name joined the Campari Group in 1995. This vivid pink expression revives that spirit of invention without pretending to be an unchanged historic recipe. Made with the juices of Sicilian blood orange, mango, and passion fruit, it lands on the fruitier, more exuberant side of the aperitivo spectrum, balancing ripe citrus and tropical sweetness with enough tartness to keep the whole thing bright and refreshing. At 14% ABV, it is effortless over ice and absolutely built for the spritz. The house serve is three parts Prosecco, two parts Sarti Rosa, and a splash of soda, finished with lime. Less austere and overtly bitter than many classic Italian aperitivi, this is an inviting, crowd-pleasing option for warm afternoons, brunch, poolside drinking, or anyone looking to put a vivid new spin on the Italian aperitivo ritual. Colorful, versatile, and dangerously easy to mix, Sarti Rosa feels like a natural addition to the modern home bar.

Everything this place makes is fantastic. It's just super amazing really high end versions of your favorite amari. This is the Campari analogue, inspired by vintage Campari, and it's just pretty perfect. It has this depth and roundness that's just whacky in how finely tuned it is. There's cola, grapefruit zest, citron, Satsuma, and maybe Gentian all on the nose, it's so vivid and complex and just downright interesting. Fantastic mouthfeel and texture on the palate, really great depth with a lot of the same notes showing, there's more kind of a spiciness on the palate with clove, cinnamon, lots of citrus, vanilla, and then then a lingering finish with bitterness vying with sweetness and acidity and finding nothing but balance in the end. This makes me happy on a profound and deep level.

Grab your corkscrew to open a bottle of this absinthe, a tribute to distiller T.A. Breaux's hometown, New Orleans. The light jade liquid louches to cloudy pale green, releasing gentle fennel, rosemary and fresh basil accented with lime zest and white pepper, plus a long, gentle anise finish. Although it's easy-sipping when louched, the undiluted spirit is ideal for prepping a glass to receive a sazerac. (KN)

Made from the same set of recipes since 1821, Dolin Vermouth de Chambéry has long been the benchmark for fine French vermouth. It is made with fine wines of the region and botanicals found in the Alpine meadows above Chambéry, which impart a fresh and elegant nose with a subtle and complex palate. Ideal as an aperitif or in cocktails. In the late 19th century, Dolin Vermouth de Chambéry won medals in Paris, London, St. Louis and Philadelphia and in 1932 earned Chambéry France's only Appellation d'Origine for Vermouth.

A sweeter, richer vermouth infused with vanilla, this is sumptuously textured and offers enticing notes of raisin, macerated orange, tea, carob and nutmeg. Finishes with balancing bitterness and fennel. (MM)

A sweeter, richer vermouth infused with vanilla, this is sumptuously textured and offers enticing notes of raisin, macerated orange, tea, carob and nutmeg. Finishes with balancing bitterness and fennel. (MM)

The world’s 1st & only vermouth made with 100% Hondarrabi Zuri Getariako Txakoli Wine.The underlying wine is produced by the fifth-generation of winemakers from the famed Eizaguirre family, from old vines grown high on breathtaking rolling hills just above and overlooking the beautiful Bay of Biscay in Zarautz, Spain. They pioneered the use of local "Integrated Production" since the climate in the area is too wet for certified organic or biodynamic production methods. Instead of spraying, they bring sheep from a farm next door to eat the dead vine leaves, grass, and pests that would otherwise lead to rot, leaving only the living grapes which fight through rough conditions to produce the wine. The wild wine made here is famous for its freshness and complexity and this vermouth uses a double maceration technique to highlight it's best qualities. More than 80 mostly local aromatic herbs from all around the Basque Country are extracted in a base spirit of Orujo -a pomace brandy similar to eau de vie. This concoction is aged for several months in old French oak barrels before being blended with the txakoli wine and adjusted to 15% abv. A deep chestnut auburn in color. The nose is complex with grapefruit, raspberry, and nectarine notes, and a finish of toast, vanilla, and caramel, all balanced by a bitter and tannic base. The underlying txakoli wine fills everything with bright acidity, mineral, and salinity, but the rich botanicals lend more depth.

In a blind sweet vermouth tasting between Dolin Rouge, Cocchi di Torino, Carpano Antica Formula, and Vya, Dolin was the winner for me. Of the four, Dolin is the most temperate. While the Italian vermouths were grandiose in style, and the Californian Vya eccentric, the French Dolin struck an amiable balance of flavor between its wine base and botanical infusion. Not so fragrant as to swamp your spirit with aromatics, nor so sweet as to throw off the balance of your cocktail, Dolin is the standard for vermouth.

Scarlet Orange Amaro is a vibrant Japanese blood orange liqueur produced by founder Tatsuya Motonaga at Iseya Distillery in Sagamihara. The project begins with blood oranges grown on a friend’s farm in Ehime Prefecture, one of Japan’s most celebrated citrus-growing regions. Motonaga and a team of 70 volunteers hand-press the freshly harvested fruit, immediately transferring the juice to stainless steel tanks to preserve its freshness. Meanwhile, the peels are joined by more than 25 botanicals, including lemon balm, bramble leaves, ginger and camellia flowers, and macerated in a neutral sugarcane spirit distilled specifically for the project. The resulting aromatized spirit is blended with the fresh blood orange juice and bottled immediately. Japanese beet sugar provides sweetness, while traditional cochineal lends Scarlet its distinctive natural color. The result is an exceptionally thoughtful marriage of locally grown Japanese citrus, careful hand processing and classic amaro production techniques. Bottled at 20% ABV, Scarlet Orange is a fascinating addition to Japan’s rapidly developing culture of artisanal liqueurs and an exceptionally versatile bottle for cocktails or simple service over ice.

This might be my point of no return for the Fernet rabbit-hole. Such a consistent profile across all their amari. This one is at the digestif end of their spectrum. If you have a Fernet lover in your circle, they'll flip for it! Deep and herbaceous, slightly minty with a hint of chocolate. I will look back to this bottle from now on.

Produced in the Piemonte the birthplace of vermouth, this Cortese-based vermouth was released to mark Cocchi's 130th anniversary. The Cortese grapes (also used for Gavi wine), are infused with Artemisia Absinthium, from the Piemonte mountains, local Menta di Pancalieri, and lemon, according to the producer.

Made to the same set of recipes since 1821, Dolin Vermouth de Chambéry has long been the benchmark for fine French Vermouth. Made with fine wines of the region and botanicals found in the alpine meadows above Chambéry, together they impart a fresh and elegant nose, with a subtle and complex palate. Ideal as an aperitif or in cocktails. In the late 19th century, Dolin Vermouth de Chambéry won medals in Paris, London, St. Louis and Philadelphia and in 1932 earned Chambéry France's only Appellation d’ Origine for Vermouth.

This aroma of this sweet vermouth suggests dark berries and savory spices. The first sip is sweet, rich and plummy, with flickers of juicy orange. The long finish is shored up with baking spice and dried thyme. Recommended for cocktails. (KN)

Oooooh if you love Lillet Blanc but want something a little sweeter as an aperitif, try the Cocchi Americano! Mandarin orange, lemon, hints of white flowers with a sweet finish.... delicious on the rocks on a hot afternoon!

I expected a Chartreuse substitute but instead encountered a sophisticated, balanced palate pleaser. Delightfully herbaceous but not sharp, all amari from this producer enrobe but do not overwhelm the palate. Fantastic!

Angeleno is the hotness right now. It's not your grandma's amaro though so don't expect the sweet easy richness of Averna or the mellow bitter qualities of Nonino. Instead, the boys at Angeleno have created something distinctly Californian, not in the mold of any Italian Amaro, but with a great respect for those venerable products. The secret recipe includes locally sourced fresh and dried botanicals, many hand picked at a local farm. The base spirit is distilled from Pinot Grigio and a multi-step maceration and blending process before filtration and resting. The unusual concoction has a huge orange element, pointed with powerful herbal aromas, in particular chamomile and gentian. On the palate it starts a bit vinous and zippy sweet before the bitter orange peel and gentian peel pull it back. As you sip the bitterness builds. Very effective as a digestive, but works wonders in aperitif, as Spritz or even can sub-out orange liqueur or Lillet when you want to dry up or spice up a classic recipe. This is a modern classic in every sense of the word and will likely be everywhere before you know it.

This brawny alpine amaro has found favor among high-end mixologists for its sharp, distinct pine characteristic. In the glass, it's ruddy brown, and features a dense, piny aroma spiked with mint. On the palate, it's austere, starting with notes of allspice and toffee and lots of pine mid palate, fading into a clean, slightly herbal bitterness. Use to add bracing pine flavor to cocktails or sip as a post-dinner palate cleanser. (KN)

One of the lightest and gentlest amari, this amber spirit delicately mixes sarsaparilla-like herbal notes and honey sweetness with just the right bitter edge. Mix it into cocktails—mixologists love this amaro—or sip it as a delightful digestif. (KN)

Made in Barcelona. A symphony of 20 aromatic herbs and spices playing over the rhythm of Xarel Lo, Macabeo, and Parellada. Crafted in tribute to the original settlers of the region, the Laietani. Carefully crafted to enhance and elevate cocktails that call for red vermouth, complementing the base spirit and allowing it to shine as the centerpiece of the drink. But LAIE Vermouth is perhaps best enjoyed when sipped in its purest form, served chilled, and adorned with a tantalizing orange slice accompanied by a succulent olive.

The Bordiga Extra Dry takes all the herbal complexity and concentration of the classic bianco and simply removes the sweetness. Based on Piedmontese white wines, including some Moscato, and infused with more than 30 different botanicals, many of them grown in the Occitan Alps near the winery, and the macerations are done individually and in-house.

Product details coming soon.

Product details coming soon.

Tip Top Proper Cocktails packages its Mai Tai in a compact 100mL can. The Mai Tai is generally credited to Victor J. Bergeron, who created it at Trader Vic’s in Oakland in 1944, linking this convenient format to a landmark of American tiki cocktail history.

Cocchi makes my favorite red vermouth. I use it for Manhattan’s, in a Negroni, or in my favorite Champagne cocktail, the Negroni Sbagliato. If you are interested in seeing the recipe, search "Negroni Sbagliato" on the blog (blog.klwines.com) to find it, complete with video. If you don’t mind waiting, you can also send me an email with the button above, and I’ll send you the link.

Product details coming soon.

The holidays are here! That means big meals and lots of drinks. What do you do after a huge meal when you feel like all you can do is unbutton your pants and sink into the couch? Underberg!! This digestif bitter works wonders on your full stomach, aiding with digestion. It's also a relaxant in stressful situations, which the holidays can certainly be too.

100% Macabeu is fermented at low temperatures. Green walnuts, herbs and spices are sourced locally from the Matarrana area and macerated in the wine. The whole concoction is then aged for up to six months in a solera before being bottled in one of the coolest looking bottles on the market. The Spanish drink vermouth like it's going out of style, but we all know that there's nothing more stylish than pulling out a bottle of fine vermouth to pair with your tapas. What else are you going to do with all your canned fish? While designed primarily for straight consumption, the Negra lends itself to mixing as well. This one's all about balance!

From the official Angustura website: "Made with the same original secret recipe since 1824, the world famous Angostura aromatic bitters remains the quintessential and definitive ingredient for classic and contemporary cocktails. Its versatility, however, stretches way beyond the bar counter as it serves as a unique flavour enhancer with the ability to marry flavours in the preparation of all food dishes. Angostura aromatic bitters also adds its unmistakable flavour and aroma to 'soft' beverages and desserts."

I'm smitten with this fun little spirit from the north eastern part of the French Southwest. This plum brandy is one of the easiest to appreciate, but will impress even the most jaded brandy lover. Forward sweet oak proceeds and incredibly deep fruitiness. No heat on the palate, the powerful fruit feels like its been sweetened, but it's in fact very dry.

Distiller's notes: "A bittersweet aperitivo infused with 13 botanicals including orange, chamomile and rose. Perfect mixed with soda water or grapefruit juice, on the rocks with lime, or in a Negroni."

To make this bottling, T.A. Breaux analyzed vintage absinthe, dated circa 1901. It's burnished gold in the glass, louching to opalescent light gold, and scented with bold notes of anise and licorice. The flavor is mild at first, but shows more anise on the long, rounded finish. (KN)

Lighter in style than the other Italian rosso vermouths we carry, the Bordiga Rosso di Torino is based on Piedmontese white wines, including some Moscato, and infused with more than thirty different botanicals, many of them grown in the Occitan Alps near the winery. A tinge of cola sweetness on the finish accents the pureness of the bitterness and spice.

Some amari are created by marketeers. Some are created by bartenders or master blenders. But many of the very best were created by monks with utilitarian goals in my. San Simone is one of the later, plucked from obscurity by seeming chance. Its story begins with a brotherhood of 16th-century Turin monks renowned for their knowledge of medicinal plants, roots, and fruits. Their Depurativo San Simone was based on a formula dating to 1583 and remained in Piedmontese pharmacies into the 1940s. The original recipe resurfaced at the Antica Officina Farmaceutica San Simone in the early 1950s, and after years of refinement the modern amaro emerged around 1960. It is still produced entirely at the historic Turin facility, from botanical maceration through bottling. Thirty-nine herbs and roots, most gathered from the surrounding region, undergo months of maceration, infusion, and filtration before the resulting preparations are cold blended by hand. The formula uses grain alcohol, water, sugar, natural extracts, and pure-sugar caramel for color, without other additives. The principal suppliers and core production methods have remained essentially unchanged for more than half a century. Bottled at 26% ABV, this deeply traditional Torinese specialty earned the Grand Gold Medal, the highest distinction, at the 2025 Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, rising above 2,598 blind entrants and selected 140 judges. It's a true honor to finally be able to sell this wonderful old recipe.

The Bordiga Extra Dry takes all the herbal complexity and concentration of the classic bianco and simply removes the sweetness. Based on Piedmontese white wines, including some Moscato, and infused with more than 30 different botanicals, many of them grown in the Occitan Alps near the winery, and the macerations are done individually and in-house.

Lighter in style than the other Italian rosso vermouths we carry, the Bordiga Rosso di Torino is based on Piedmontese white wines, including some Moscato, and infused with more than thirty different botanicals, many of them grown in the Occitan Alps near the winery. A tinge of cola sweetness on the finish accents the pureness of the bitterness and spice.

The world’s first and only vermouth made with 100% Hondarrabi Zuri Getariako Txakoli Wine. The underlying wine is produced by the fifth-generation of winemakers from the famed Eizaguirre family, from old vines grown high on breathtaking rolling hills just above and overlooking the beautiful Bay of Biscay in Zarautz, Spain. They pioneered the use of local "Integrated Production" since the climate in the area is too wet for certified organic or biodynamic production methods. Instead of spraying, they bring sheep from a farm next door to eat the dead vine leaves, grass, and pests that would otherwise lead to rot, leaving only the living grapes which fight through rough conditions to produce the wine. The wild wine made here is famous for its freshness and complexity and this vermouth uses a double maceration technique to highlight it's best qualities. More than 80 mostly local aromatic herbs from all around the Basque Country are extracted in a base spirit of Orujo — a pomace brandy similar to eau de vie. This concoction is aged for several months in old French oak barrels before being blended with the txakoli wine and adjusted to 15% ABV. The liquid is a bright straw yellow color, with a slight herbaceously green tint. The nose is complex with peach, lemon, spice, and floral notes, and the mouth feel is very much like its underlying txakoli wine — filled with bright acidity, mineral, salinity, and a dry, velvety finish.

Il Gusto di Amalfi makes fine liqueurs from local products in the Amalfi Coast town of Praiano. This area is famous for growing citrus, and proprietors Valentino Esposito and Mario Anastasio take organically-grown local lemons and hand peel them with potato peelers, careful not to remove the pith of the fruit, which can contribute a bitterness typically found in larger commercial limoncellos. These skins are then macerated in grain alcohol to extract the pure lemon oils which is the hallmark of this high quality, boutique limoncello production.

Nuanced and palate-cleansing, look for a mild, savory scent and bracing notes of dill, fennel seed and pine, plus a brisk, zingy finish that suggests caraway-seeded rye bread. Pair this refreshing sip with herring or other savory bites. (KN)

Berry-hued and bright, this is a champ for cocktail mixing and pleasing to sip straight. Red fruit leads the nose and palate, suggesting juicy raspberry and ripe cherry, enlivened by a hint of rosewater and finishing slightly drying and mildly bitter. Think of this as a refreshing alternative to sweet vermouth. *Best Buy* (KN)

Made from a recipe that dates back to 1821, using herbs and botanicals grown in the Alpine meadows of Chambéry, this is as authentic and traditional a Vermouth you can get. Tasting notes from the importer: "Dolin Vermouths are notably lighter, drier and less pungent than their larger commercial counterparts. The particular mixture of plants found near Chambéry give a fresh, restrained and elegant nose, with a subtle, complex bittersweet palate. Even the Blanc and Rouge retain great balance, with the sugar never cloying, and just enough bitterness to whet the appetite. Each can be enjoyed as aperitif on ice, with a twist of citrus, or in a broad array of traditional cocktails."

Product details coming soon.

Chinola takes its name from the Dominican Spanish word for passion fruit, reflecting the brand’s Caribbean roots. This 750ml Guava Liqueur extends its fruit-focused range beyond its namesake ingredient, presenting guava in a distilled-spirits liqueur format.

Amante "1530" Aperitivo is a modern interpretation of classic Italian aperitivi, crafted with a blend of botanicals inspired by centuries-old herbal traditions. Balancing bright citrus, subtle bitterness, and aromatic herbs, it delivers a versatile profile that’s equally suited to spritzes, Negronis, or simply over ice with a twist. Bottled at 750ml, it offers a vibrant, approachable alternative in the amaro category—lively, bittersweet, and deeply rooted in Italian aperitivo culture.

There’s no mistaking this classic apéritif, from the vibrant melted lipstick-red color to the distinctive signature bitter finish, clean, clear and strong. It’s high, bitter and faintly floral-fruity in scent. Americanos and Negronis wouldn’t be the same without this jewel-like spirit. *Top 50 Spirits of 2011* (KN)