Amaro Lucano
Amaro Lucano is an Italian herbal liqueur in the Amaro category. It is produced by Amaro Lucano S.p.A., a family-owned company based in Pisticci, Basilicata. The adjective "Lucano" comes from Lucania, another name for Basilicata. History. It was originally created in 1894 by Pasquale Vena, a pastry chef who blended more than 30 herbs. The secret recipe has been passed from generation to generation in the Vena family. In 1900, Amaro Lucano gained fame throughout the Kingdom of Italy, after the Vena family became the official supplier to the House of Savoy, whose coat of arms  appears on the label. After a period of recession during World War II, in 1950 the workshop became an industrial enterprise under the management of Vena's sons Leonardo and Giuseppe and in 1965 a new factory in the frazione Pisticci Scalo was opened. In the 1970s, the Vena family also began producing other alcohol-based drinks under the name "Lucano" such as the Sambuca, Limoncello and Caffè varieties, as well as liqueur-filled chocolates. The making of Amaro Lucano. The process of preparing Amaro Lucano is divided in seven steps: the selection, the infusion, the processing, the secret, the  control, the mixture, and the bottling. The Selection. The herbs needed for the mixture come from different areas of the world. They are dried naturally, crushed and mixed together. Among the herbs used, there are:. The Infusion. The mixture is steeped in solutions of pure alcohol and water; it then goes through hot infusion process in thermo-controlled baths (55°/60 °C) overnight. The Processing. The mixture undergoes hot pressing to obtain an infusion. The Secret. Once the infusion is ready, the family secret ingredient is added to obtain the extract. The Control. Laboratory tests are run; the  extract is aged for a period of five months. During the aging process there is stratification, which means that heavy components are on the bottom, while lighter components are on the top. The “heart” of the extract is the one kept. The Mixture. Pure alcohol, essential oils, water, the aged extract, sugar, caramel and water are mixed in a large tank to get a hydro-alcoholic solution. The Bottling Line. The mixture is then filtered, bottled and ready to be sold. Overview. Amaro Lucano is caramel brown in color, has a bittersweet flavor, and its strength is 28% ABV. It  can be savoured neat, chilled, with ice or orange zest. It is usually served as a digestif after a meal and also as a base for cocktails. Cocktails. Amaro Lucano is used as an apéritif and digestif, after-dinner drink, and all-day drink. It is used in cocktails such as Italian Sangria, Gelato Lucano, Amarcord.