Amaro Montenegro Recipe
One of the lightest and gentlest amari, with orange and rosewater notes, Montenegro was named to commemorate the marriage of Princess Helen of Montenegro to Italy's King Victor Emmanuel III in 1896.
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Ingredients
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Cocktail
Optional/Rinses
Method
Cocktail
- 1
- 2
Prepare mixing glass
Fill a mixing glass or shaker (without shaking vigorously) with ice to the top to get it very cold and to properly dilute the drink.
- 3
Measure and add spirits
Add 2 oz Amaro Montenegro, 0.5 oz gin, and 0.5 oz dry vermouth into the mixing glass over the ice. The Montenegro is the star — the gin and dry vermouth add structure and a floral/dry backbone.
- 4
Add bitters and stir
Add 2 dashes of orange bitters. Stir gently with a bar spoon for 30–40 seconds (about 20–30 full turns) until the mixture is well chilled and slightly diluted. The goal is clear, cold liquid with proper dilution.
- 5
- 6
Strain and garnish
Discard ice/water from the chilled serving glass. Using a julep or hawthorne strainer, double-strain the cocktail into the chilled coupe or Nick & Nora glass. Express the oils from the orange peel over the surface by holding it with the outer skin facing down and giving it a brisk twist, then rub the peel around the rim and drop it into the drink as garnish.
- 7
Serve
Serve immediately. Sip and note Montenegro's orange and rosewater notes balanced by the light botanical lift from gin and dry vermouth.
Notes
- 8
If you prefer a slightly sweeter/rounder drink, increase Montenegro to 2.5 oz and reduce gin to 0.25 oz. For a lower-proof, omit the gin and increase dry vermouth to 1 oz.
