Wild Grape Amaro

*Homemade Amari in Sicily of Nocino (Walnut), Alloro (Bay) and Limone (Lemon)*

Each year, as the heat of high summer gives way to the golden glow of late summer and the early fall, I look forward to a medicine-making ritual which has become a cherished tradition- making Wild Grape Amaro. “Amaro” in Italian means “bitter,” and the term is also synonymous with Italian herbal liquors infused with a staggering array of fruits, roots, barks, seeds, and herbs. Sometimes an amaro is also referred to as a “digestivo,” which makes perfect sense since these are often served after meals to aid digestion and to linger (even) longer over the meal. One famous amaro from the Abruzzo region of Italy is called Centerbe, which translates to “a hundred herbs,” and is a testament to the myriad of herbs that can go into amaro. This unique amaro is said to be comprised of herbs found growing on Mount Majella in the central Appeneines, how beautiful.

And while my D.I.Y. amaro may not have quite such an impressive pedigree (or 100 herbs!), it does very much still honor the tradition of working with the plants abundant in the landscape around you. This is the essence of folk medicine and bioregional herbalism and is what led me to infusing my amaro with wild grapes in the first place. This recipe is born from time spent wandering the hedgerows in the golden glow of late summer, attuning my senses to the herbs and wild fruits ready to harvest. The wild grapes will tell you they’re ready to harvest when you catch their sweet and heady scent on the breeze and they turn deep purple in color, concentrating antioxidants, including the powerfully antioxidant resveratrol, in their skins.

This recipe and tradition is also an homage to my Italian ancestors who were also known for whipping up their own homemade amari in their kitchens (“amari” in Italian is the plural of "amaro”) and enjoying them for both medicine and pleasure after meals. And this folk tradition is very much alive in Italy today. I love storing my wild grape amaro in a crystal decanter my Italian-American grandparents gifted my parents on their wedding day, no doubt envisioning it full of a healing herbal liquor. I feel so grateful to be fulfilling my grandparent’s vision in my folk amaro-making practice and cherish the way this honors and connects me with my ancestors when doing so.

This recipe reflects the landscape of the wild hedges of the northeast and calls for herbs I can sustainably forage or grow and are in season when Wild Grapes are at the peak of their ripeness during the golden glow of late summer. I encourage you to use the ratios shared in the recipe below as a guide for creating your own bioregional amaro, which will truly reflect the terroir of the land you live on.

Amaro comes from a folk medicine-making tradition and there is no “right” or “wrong” way to make it as long as you follow just a few basic criteria- a combination of bitter and aromatic herbs, a fruit or citrus peel of some kind (usually), infused in alcohol and sweetened. Most traditional amari are a combination of herb and fruit-infused alcohol and a simple syrup. In this recipe I’ve chosen raw honey as my sweetener and I add it to the herbs and alcohol as they’re infusing, but feel free to use a sugar-based simple syrup if that’s more your thing or add after! Some folks prefer to add the honey or simple syrup after the herbs infuse in the alcohol so they can add it to-taste. Be creative and feel free to experiment- this is kitchen medicine :)

And, lastly, I want to shout-out my primary amaro-making teachers, MaryBeth Bonfiglio and Kara Wood. You can learn more about their work and find some of their amaro classes in the resources below

Ingredients:

1 cup Wild Grapes (my favorite species is Fox Grape aka Vitis labrusca). River Grape (Vitis riparia) or cultivated grapes will absolutely work too, crushed
NOTE: Wild Grapes tend to ripen in late August-early Sept in our region. Sometimes they will shrivel a bit on the vine but, as long as they are mold-free (which they generally are), you can still use them at this stage in your amaro
1 cup bitter herbs, chopped
Dandelion Rt + Lf (Taraxacum officinale), Chicory Lf + Rt (Cichorium intybus), Burdock Lf + Root (Arcticum lappa), Arichoke Lf (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus), Cardoon Lf (Cynara cardunculus) are all great choices and may also be used in combination
1 cup aromatic bitter herbs (also known as carminatives in herbalism), chopped
Mugwort flowering tops (Artemisia vulgaris), Wormwood flowering tops or lf (Artemisia absinthum), Angelica root (Angelica archangelica), Chamomile Fls (Matricaria chamomilla), Goldenrod flowering tops (Solidego spp), Garden Sage (Salvia officinalis) are all great choices and may also be used in combination
3/4 cup sweet-ish, aromatic herbs, chopped
I love to use fresh Fennel bulbs and fronds (Foeniculum vulgare), for this portion. Other nice choices include Mint (Mentha spp), Basil (Ocimum basilicum), Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum), Fennel Seed, Anise Seed, Ginger (Zingiber officinalis) and Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum), which may be used in combination
1/4 cup citrus peel, chopped
Any will work! My favorites are Lemon, Grapefruit, and Orange
Alcohol of choice
Choose one that is at least 50% alcohol (100 proof) and has a neutral flavor, such as vodka or grappa, or a higher-proof alcohol may be used, if-desired. My preference is to use grain alcohol that is 75% alcohol. You may water down pure grain alcohol (95% alcohol) with 25% water to achieve more or less a 75% alcohol ratio
Raw honey
NOTE: Wild Grapes ripen in late August-mid September in our region. They sometimes shrivel on the vine and as long as they’re mold free (which they generally are), they may be used at this stage in your amaro. Also check local farmer’s markets in the late summer-early fall for cultivated grapes, which is when they come into season

Instructions:

Crush the grapes to release their juices and put in a 1-quart jar
Chop the herbs well and add to the jar
Cover the contents of the jar approx 75% of the way with your alcohol of choice
Cover the remaining 25% of the contents with raw honey. It’s fine if it’s crystallized, as it will dissolve in a few days. And it’s ok if you have a layer of plant material poking out, exposed, on the surface of the herbs- as long as they’re coated in the alcohol-honey mixture it won’t mold. However, that exposed layer may turn brown from oxidation, which is normal and will not compromise the medicine.
NOTE: If you prefer to add your sweetener after straining, simply fill the jar with the alcohol so the herbs are covered. Then add honey or simple syrup, to taste, after straining
Let steep for at least one month (longer is fine), shaking daily or as often as possible, whispering your prayers and intention into the medicine while doing so
Strain and bottle into the fanciest bottle you have. May be stored at room temperature, indefinitely

Use:

These are most often enjoyed in cute little cordial glasses, in 2-3 tbsp-sized amounts, and sipped straight or they may be be poured straight over ice. They may also be made into cocktails/mixed drinks mixed with Prosecco, soda, or seltzer. Another lovely way they are used is in espresso. “Caffe Correto” in Italy is espresso with Grappa or liquors added. They may also be splashed into after-dinner espressos or, after the espresso is drank, a dash is sometimes added to the bottom of the cup to get any residual espresso-yum.

And of course they’re medicinal due to the bitter, aromatic, and stimulating nature of the herbs. These can be enjoyed before or after a meal to stoke the digestive fires and aid digestion. In addition to stimulating digestive juices and enzymes they help relax the body and mind. This relaxed state (known as “rest and digest” or the parasympathetic nervous system state) benefits all digestive processes, nutrient absorption, and nervous system health. You can read more about the wide-ranging benefits of the bitter flavor on this blog here.

In some European traditions of herbalism, sweetened herbal liquors are referred to as cordials. The word cordial means “warm and friendly,” with a more archaic definition of “pertaining to the heart.” The root comes from the Middle Latin word cordialis, which means “belonging to the heart,” from Latin root of cor and cord which means “heart.” I think of amaro as a type of cordial, best enjoyed with company, that gets us into our heart space and out of our heads. Beyond the more objective health benefits of the herbs themselves, incorporating cordials into your life will increase feelings of warmth, comfort, and well-being, especially when enjoyed with friends and loved ones after a delicious meal.

Enjoy!