Bartenders are increasingly reaching for amaro as a key cocktail ingredient.This group of spirits and liqueurs can be citrusy, woodsy, herbal, or just plain medicinal (amaro is Italian for "bitter"). Traditionally brought out for an end-of-meal digestivo, the ornately labeled bottles (reason alone to explore them) have moved from the back of the shelf to center stage. Amaro is being mixed with every spirit imaginable to create a whole new category of cocktails--and we couldn't be happier. If you're new to the game, Amaro Nonino Quintessentia (shown at right), with its notes of bitter orange and cola, is an ideal gateway pour. Here are four of our favorite places to find amaro-based drinks. --Brad Thomas Parsons
THE CHANDELIER, Las Vegas
Romeo and Juliet plays out on the Las Vegas Strip with the Capulet and the Montague, two star-crossed cocktails that spotlight the bittersweet romance of amaro.
AMOR Y AMARGO, New York
For a choose-your-own-adventure experience, select either gin or tequila as the base spirit for your White Negroni, which is rounded out with Bittermens Amere Sauvage liqueur.
NO. 246, Decatur, GA
The Grade "B" Sour (featuring bourbon, grade B maple syrup, and Amaro Ciociaro) filters the spirit of Italy through the lens of the South.
THE WOODSMAN TAVERN, Portland, OR
Barman Evan Zimmerman brings a Pacific Northwest flavor to his Minor Threat cocktail, infusing Cynar with Stumptown coffee beans still warm from the roaster.