Amaro Camatti, Genoese liqueur 1 litre

Amaro Camatti is a Genoese liqueur that was invented by Umberto Briganti in 1924. It is a bitter produced from the infusion and maceration of herbs, flowers and roots, to which a sugary syrup is later added, bringing the alcohol content down to 20% vol. For this reason, Amaro Camatti is a liqueur that can be enjoyed as an aperitif or after dinner.

The history of Amaro Camatti

Camatti was first produced in the 1920s in Recco, where Umberto Briganti (a chemist from Livorno) together with his brother Cesare invented the recipe for this bitter. The name derives from the maiden name of Umberto's wife. Recco is a small town on the Riviera Ligure di Levante, located in the Golfo Paradiso, between Genoa and the mountain of Portofino. It is precisely with the main city that Amaro Camatti maintains a special bond, quickly becoming one of the city's most typical products. The name of Genoa is right on the label.

In this early phase of its history, Camatti was marketed by the Briganti family as a quality alternative to fernet, as a digestive, a tonic based on medicinal roots and for sea voyages. In 1935 came an important official recognition by the House of Savoia, who awarded the Briganti family the title of supplier to the Royal House: from that moment on, the Briganti distillery could boast the princely coat of arms on its signboard.

Meanwhile, while the Briganti are making Amaro Camatti a success, another Ligurian family is taking its first steps into the world of artisanal liqueurs. Giovanni Bergamino worked in the Ballerini factory in Lavagna and passed on his passion for stills to his son Enzo, who in 1964 took the big step by setting up his own business: in that year Enzo Bergamino bought Distilleria Sangallo. 

In the early 1990s, the Camatti brand was passed from the Briganti family to the Bergamino family, who became the new custodians of the tradition of this Genoese liqueur. In 2023, Amaro Camatti won the prize for the world's best bitter at the World Liqueur Awards, an important international competition.

The ingredients of Amaro Camatti

As with all good bitters, the recipe for Camatti remains secret. It has been the same since 1924. What is known is that it is produced by combining an aromatic infusion of herbs and roots with a syrup of water and sugar. The first step involves macerating the raw vegetable matter, the infusion is left to decant and then filtered. With the addition of the syrup, which brings the liqueur to an alcohol content of 20% vol. and gives it its typical caramel flavour, the bitter is ready to drink.

The ingredients of Amaro Camatti include almond, bitter orange, mint, gentian and cinchona. Some are traditional and common elements in the preparation of bitters and bitters, such as gentian, which has always been used in Italy for the preparation of these liqueurs: gentian is famous for its eupeptic properties, as a stimulant for the liver and appetite; it contains one of the most bitter compounds, amarogentin; it is one of the iconic symbols of mountain areas. 

The bitter orange, on the other hand, is a typical ingredient of Liguria. This citrus fruit, which comes from Asia, has found its ideal environment on the Ligurian Riviera. The bitter orange was already widespread in the Ligurian area in the Renaissance period and was known locally at that time as the melangolo. The bitter orange fruit was one of the most widely exported products from the Republic of Genoa to northern Europe. The bitter orange was marketed preserved and candied.

How to drink Amaro Camatti

Camatti is a liqueur with a balanced flavour, in which the strong herbal notes of herbs and roots are balanced by a pleasant sugary taste. These characteristics, combined with the right alcohol content (20% vol.), make Amaro Camatti a liqueur that can be served both before and after a meal. 

Camatti is certainly famous for being a perfect tonic and digestive after a meal, but it is also an excellent aperitif, served neat or with a little soda. In recent years, Distilleria Sangallo in collaboration with important bartenders has created new cocktails with Amaro Camatti.