Cynar

Name: Cynar
Availability: InStock

1L & 33 Proof

Cynar is a Amaro from the Cynar brand hailing from Italy.

What is Cynar?

Cynar, an Italian amaro, stands out from the crowd with its secret blend of 13 herbs and plants, most notably artichoke. Despite its name and label featuring the spiky vegetable, Cynar doesn't taste strongly of artichoke; instead, it offers a complex, bittersweet flavor profile that's both refreshing and intriguing. Interestingly, Cynar has found an unexpected use beyond the bar - it's sometimes employed by gardeners as a natural snail repellent, with its bitter compounds effectively deterring these garden pests without harming plants or soil.

Why do we love Cynar?

Cynar stands out in the cocktail world as an intriguing Italian amaro that boldly features artichoke as its primary botanical, creating a bittersweet flavor profile that's both complex and surprisingly approachable. Unlike most rums, which are distilled from sugarcane byproducts, Cynar is a liqueur made from a blend of 13 herbs and plants, offering cocktail enthusiasts a versatile ingredient that can add depth and intrigue to classics like the Negroni or shine as the star in modern creations.

How do you drink Cynar?

Cynar shines as a versatile Italian amaro, equally enjoyable sipped neat as a digestif or mixed into bitter-forward cocktails like Negroni variations and spritzes. Its unique artichoke-based flavor profile makes it a fantastic pairing for rich, savory dishes in cooler weather, though its refreshing bitterness also works well in tall, iced drinks during warmer months.

Discover some of our favorite recipes.

$35.99

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Tasting Notes

How It's Made

Fun Facts

Product Details

Nose: Earthy and herbal aromas dominate, with hints of caramel and dark chocolate. Subtle notes of artichoke and other Mediterranean herbs are present, along with a touch of cinnamon and orange peel.

Palate: Bittersweet flavors unfold, balancing vegetal bitterness with caramel sweetness. Artichoke is more pronounced, accompanied by gentian root, rhubarb, and cardamom. A mild coffee-like taste emerges, followed by woody undertones and a hint of cola.

Finish: Long and pleasantly bitter. The herbal qualities linger, with artichoke and gentian prominent. A subtle sweetness reminiscent of dark honey appears, along with a warming spice note. The aftertaste is dry and slightly medicinal, inviting another sip.

Cynar is crafted by infusing artichoke leaves and 12 other herbs and plants into a neutral spirit base, which is then blended with sugar and caramel. What's fascinating about Cynar's production is that despite its name and distinctive label featuring an artichoke, the vegetable contributes more to the bitter's unique aroma than its flavor, with the final taste being a complex harmony of all 13 botanical ingredients.

Despite its name and distinctive artichoke label, Cynar contains no actual artichoke flavor. The bitter liqueur uses artichoke leaves in its secret recipe of 13 herbs and plants, but the taste is more reminiscent of cola with herbal notes.

Cynar has become an unexpected hit in Denmark, where it's popularly mixed with cola and dubbed "Artichoke Cola." This quirky combination accounts for a significant portion of Cynar's global sales, making Denmark one of the world's largest consumers of the Italian amaro.

In a clever bit of guerrilla marketing, Cynar once sponsored a professional cycling team in the 1960s. The team's distinctive jerseys, emblazoned with the liqueur's artichoke logo, became iconic in the cycling world and helped spread Cynar's fame across Europe.

Main Ingredient: Herbs
Country of Origin: Italy

Cocktail Recipes

Artichoke Hold

Ingredients

0.75 oz Jamaican Rum

0.75 oz Cynar

0.5 oz St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur

0.5 oz Liber & Co Almond Orgeat Syrup

0.75 oz freshly squeezed lime juice

fresh mint for garnish

Directions

Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker with a few pebbles of ice. Whip shake hard for 10 seconds. Strain into a chilled rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Garnish with a mint sprig.