Sicilian bitters are an indispensable pleasure on our table. Whether you love sipping them as digestives or using them in cocktails, straight or on the rocks, they are the undisputed protagonists of Italian lunches and dinners.
Spread by the Arabs, these spirits and liqueurs are a product incredibly loved by Italians: despite the popularity they enjoy today in the world, Italy maintains a firm grip on the primacy of this type of alcohol . In fact, here we have the highest number of bitters, different by region.
Drinking a bitter facilitates digestion or makes a cocktail aromatic, but not only that! In the case of Sicilian amaro, it manages to distil all the most harmonious taste of tradition. A liqueur that knows how to be trendy and elegant, without ceasing to talk about its past and the history of its Region.
Today we will offer you an overview of the best Sicilian bitters , available for you on Emporio Sicilia, all handcrafted and created from traditional recipes.
The bitters of Sicily
Amaru Sabbenerica
Among the Sicilian bitters, how can we forget, for example, the famous Amaru Sabbenerica , made with artichoke, bay leaves, lemon and other herbs. With an intense and enveloping aroma, it is Sicilian right from the name. The word Sabbenerica is in fact an ancient greeting used until the 1950s by Sicilian grandparents and great-grandparents.
Literally means "blessed be" . It was precisely a form of blessing that was exchanged on the streets of the Sicilian towns. Usually the "sabbenerica" was answered with "to her and her friends" or more rarely "santu e riccu" ( May you be holy and rich ), as a form of wish for a splendid day.
Anise Unico Tutone
Tutone is a historic brand of Sicilian liqueur of Palermo origin. Anice Unico Tutone is a product with a very high alcohol content (60 degrees) based on mixed anise flavored with parts of cumin. The name derives from the surname of the brothers from Palermo who made the first bottle in 1813.
As for the ingredients , Tutone is obtained through a small quantity of wine spirit with cumin essence and anethole, while the type of distillation is unknown. The company has kept the secret for generations: it is a family recipe from 1813, written on a jealously guarded piece of paper.
It can be added in a few drops to fresh water. It is also used as the main ingredient in some fruit cocktails, in certain typical Sicilian pastries and desserts and in coffee.
https://www.emporiosicilia.it/prodotti/anice-unico-tutone/
Amaro Monte Polizo
Made in the province of Trapani, in Salemi, Amaro Monte Polizo is one of the best and best-known Sicilian herbal bitters . The warm and persistent taste makes it one of the most famous and sold typical liqueurs in Italy and abroad. It is obtained from the infusion of selected bittering substances, according to an ancient recipe and its ingredients include alcohol, sugar, natural flavourings, caramel. It is recommended to serve it chilled, at room temperature or with ice.
https://www.emporiosicilia.it/prodotti/amaro-siciliano-monte-polizo/
Il Fico prickly pear liqueur
Made with Sicilian prickly pear from the Roccapalumba area. This bitter uses a typical fruit in the Mediterranean basin in a new way and has therapeutic, purifying and hydrating properties. The liqueur has a sweet but intense taste thanks to the sugary pulp of the fruit.
Delicate and original, it is perfect at the end of a meal or as a digestive to be served cold from the fridge but without ice.
https://www.emporiosicilia.it/prodotti/il-fico-amari-siciliani/
Limoncello and Mandarin, the best-known typical liqueurs of the Sicilian distillery.
Limoncello, especially in the exquisite Turiddu version of Amarisiciliani , takes its rather particular flavor from the intensity of the fragrant lemons of Sicily and is served chilled, preferably after meals. Made mainly with young lemons, such as Verdello, which is harvested between July and September, it contains only the best of Sicilian citrus fruits. But also Mamma Andrea's Limoncino di Peccatucci, 100% artisanal and natural, is no exception and deserves mention.
https://www.emporiosicilia.it/prodotti/turiddu-amari-siciliani/
https://www.emporiosicilia.it/prodotti/limoncino-i-peccatucci-di-mamma-andrea/
Mandarin liqueur , a Sicilian variant of arancello , also expresses the typical flavor of Sicilian citrus fruits but with sweeter and more enveloping notes.
Mi Manda Rino , by Amarisiciliani , is for example produced with late mandarin from Ciaculli, in the Palermo area. This variety of mandarin has been included among the Slow Food Arca del Gusto Presidia , has a strong aroma and has a very thin skin.
https://www.emporiosicilia.it/prodotti/mi-manda-rino-amari-siciliani/
Amaro Gerlando - Sicilian artisanal herbal liqueur
With an alcohol content of 34%, Amaro Gerlando is produced with water, sugar, alcohol and aromatic herbs. Ideal for pairings with Modica chocolate , almond creams, fruit desserts, semifreddos, cakes, pastries, dry biscuits. A true traditional Sicilian bitter , with a velvety, sweet and alcoholic taste. It is served cold, even with ice.https://www.emporiosicilia.it/prodotti/amaro-gerlando-amaro-gerlando/
