by Shaun Layton | In the spirited bar world, Italian products like vermouth, amaro, and grappa are often imitated but they’re never exactly replicated. A couple of young fellows from North Van recently dove head first into the Amaro game, and their subtly sweet, silky smooth Italian style bitter is the best I’ve tried in BC.

For Woods Spirit Co.‘s Amaro, Joel Myers and Fabio Martini (real name) chose to use a vacuum distillation process to isolate vibrant and fresh flavours from macerated botanicals in their rotary evaporator. With the utmost respect for Italian traditions, a little west coast flavour was injected into the flavour profile: grand fir needles from the vast (not to mention immediate) supply outside their doorsteps. Other botanicals from the secret (sort of) recipe include rhubarb, bitter orange, and grapefruit.

You can pick up a bottle at specialty stores, or head over to the Sons Of Vancouver Distillery in North Van where the Amaro is actually made (the same facility that produces the celebrated Amaretto).

Traditionally, Amaro is meant to be drank as a digestif after dinner. It’s a different story in a cocktail. Woods’ Amaro is a bittersweet viscous cross between Amaro Nonino and Amaro Montenegro with a dash of Campari. Try it in a Negroni (subbing the Campari), in a Spritz with sparkling wine, or in an N.V. Mule as per the recipe below.

N.V. Mule

45 ml Sid’s vodka
15 ml Aperol
15 ml Wood’s Amaro
30 ml fresh lime juice
Top with Dickie’s ginger beer

Method – Build ingredients in a copper mule mug. Garnish with a stalk of rhubarb