Amaro nonino is made of grappa with infused herbs, plants and fruits. Like many other Italian liqueurs, it tastes unique due to the well-balanced combination of fruits and herbs. It tastes bitter and sweet at the same time, carrying citrusy, vanilla and allspice notes.
Amaro Nonino is often used to flavor desserts and to add an appealing aroma to many dishes and mixed drinks. It’s very rare and you may hardly find this Italian bitter beverage, but if your recipe calls for it, you can consider Amaro Nonino substitutes below.
On the other hand, some of these alternatives can come for help when you decide to use lower-alcoholic ingredients in your dish. This beverage has its special place in popular recipes of shakes and cocktails.
Best Amaro Nonino Substitutes To Try
1. Other Amaro Liqueurs
There are many other amaro liqueurs that can be used instead of Amaro Nonino if you don’t have it in hand. Let me give you a list of amaros to make your choice even easier: Amaro Averna, Amaro Montenegro, Amaro Lucano, Amaro Meletti, Amaro Ramazzotti and Amaro Tosoololini.
These have a similar taste and flavor and can be used to substitute Amaro Nonino in many desserts, dishes and mixed drinks. Between them, Averno comes with the mildest and less bitter taste and it has the closest flavor to Amaro Nonino.
2. Cynar
Actually, Cynar is classified as amaro but it’s an easy-to-drink variety of liquor and is sweeter in taste. It can be used to add balance to cocktails and shakes. Just like amaro nonino, Cynar can be served as a great aperitif.
It is made of 13 herbs and plants due to which it offers a rich bittersweet flavor. Cynar has a deep brown color.
3. Gammel Dansk
Gammel Dansk is a bitter invented in Denmark. It is mostly used as an additive in cocktails. Gammel Dansk contains 29 herbs and spices, which make its taste strong enough. It has a rich flavor and taste reminiscent of a good mixture of sweet, spicy, bittersweet, and fruity tastes.
If you are looking for an alternative that matches in color too, then Gammel Dansk is the best choice. It comes with a similar color as Amaro Nonino and will provide the same color to your dish, dessert or drink.
4. Jägermeister
This German herbal liqueur stands quite close to Amaro Nonino. It is made of 56 herbs and spices and comes with a complex flavor. You can use Jägermeister instead of Amaro Nonino in cocktails.
Keep in mind that this beverage comes with a thicker texture and you may need to watch out the ratio before adding to mixed drinks.
5. Chartreuse
Another herbal liqueur is Chartreuse from France. It is considered to be the king of liquors and offers the richest flavor of 130 different herbs and spices. This beverage can be a great alternative to Amaro Nonino in mixed drinks.
It comes either in yellow or green colors and has a unique taste where spicy and sweet flavors are the most dominant.
6. Sweet Vermouth
As for sweet Vermouth, it is an easy and more affordable substitute for Amaro Nonino. This is a fortified wine with an amazing combination of flowers, herbs, roots, barks, seeds, and spices.
If you choose sweet Vermouth with citrusy notes, you’ll get a closer taste to Amaro Nonino. There are several types of Vermont and some of them contain citruses like lime, lemon, orange, and pomelo peels, which make them suitable substitutes.
You can use sweet Vermouth as a base in cocktails and an aromatic and flavorful seasoning in jams and desserts. Depending on its ingredients, Vermouth is either transparent or comes in caramel brown color.
7. Bonal Gentiane Quina
Bonal Gentiane Quina is often used as an aperitif, and it’s sometimes called key to appetite. Its base is wine with cherry flavor but it also includes herbs and spices which make it taste like liquor.
It comes with a reddish-brown color and has a bitter, sweet and spicy flavor similar to most types of Amari liqueurs. Many people confuse it with sweet Vermouth.
Bonal Gentiane quina has citrus and licorice flavors just like Amaro Nonino, which means you can use it instead of Amaro Nonino.
8. Fernet
Fernet is an old Italian beverage made of mixed herbs and spices which make it taste something between amaro and bitter. This comes with sweet, bitter, herbaceous and spicy flavors at the same time.
Fernet is an awesome substitute for Amaro Nonino in desserts and drinks. It has a dark brown color.
9. Aperol
Do you like lighter alcoholic and more refreshing drinks? If yes, then Aperol can be the best substitute for Amaro Nonino in cocktails and other mixed beverages.
Aperol comes from Italy and is known to be a low-alcoholic aperitif mostly served as a refreshing beverage for summer parties.
This liquor is made of sweet and bitter oranges, gentian roots and rhubarb. It has a citrusy-to-bitter taste and is a fantastic alternative to most amaros including Amaro Nonino. It has an appealing orange color.
10. Angostura Bitters
Angostura bitters is a herbal drink made in Venezuela. It is basically used to flavor other drinks and sometimes dishes and desserts. It contains gentian and many herbs and spices.
Just a few drops of Angostura bitters is enough to favor your drink or dessert. It has a rich flavor and strong taste. It tastes spicy and bitter and has clove and cinnamon notes.
11. Campari
This list sums up Campari, which is again a popular Italian liquor made of 70 herbs, flowers and spices. They are mixed with high-level alcohol and sweetened with sugar syrup.
Campari comes with a vibrant red color and is a great replacer for Amaro Nonino in several mixed drinks.
FAQs on Amaro Nonino
Is there a non-alcoholic substitute for Amaro Nonino?
Yes, there are several types of drinks that don’t contain alcohol and can be used instead of Amaro Nonino. They are as follows: fruit juices, chinotto, and non-alcoholic spirits.
Is Amaro Nonino gluten free?
In the majority of cases liquors and amaros contain hidden ingredients which come with gluten. As for Amaro nonino, its list of ingredients is a secret of the Nonino family and it’s hard to say whether it contains gluten or it’s gluten-free. Maybe it contains “secret herbs” that contain gluten.
Is Amaro Nonino expensive?
Compared to many other liquors, Amara Nonino is not considered to be cheap. A 750 ml bottle costs about $50.
Why is Amaro Nonino so expensive?
It is expensive because of the complex flavor profile as well as the production method, and difficulty to find it.
Where can I use Amaro Nonino?
It is the most important ingredient in Paper Plane cocktail. This beverage is also used in other mixed drinks and serves as a good aperitif.
What amaro is closest to Amaro Nonino?
Amaro Averna is the closest beverage to Amaro Nonino. They both have citrusy flavors mingled with caramel notes. They can be used interchangeably in cocktails and dishes but Amaro Averna is a bit sweeter and comes with a thicker texture.
Summary
Despite the fact that each alcoholic beverage has a unique taste and flavor, some of them contain similar ingredients, which make them good substitutions for each other. In the case of amaros and liquors the choice is quite wide. Opt for one of these Amaro Nonino alternatives and don’t be afraid of experiments.