Amaro 'Chaparral'

• Digestivo made in the tradition of alpine herbal liqueurs from Italy & France, produced by Brucato in San Francisco, California
• 20 botanicals in total featuring yerba santa, anise, mint, cardamom, California bay leaf, tarragon, and clove
• Base of California-sourced grape distillate
• Whole botanicals, dried and fresh, are incrementally added to the base distillate for a single-batch maceration
• The resulting spirit rests for a minimum of two months in stainless steel before it is sweetened with cane sugar and brought to proof
• A nose of green tea, bay leaf, and mint introduces a warm and bright palate of yellow herbs, cinnamon, and anise; cardamom blooms late, leading into big notes of mint on the finish
• Best Herbal/Botanical Liqueur and Double Gold medalist at the 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition; Double Gold medalist at the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition
• No added coloring
• Non-chill filtered; 46% ABV

Chaparral calls to mind the dry, sage-covered hills that rise from the California coast. Made in the tradition of alpine herbal liqueurs from Italy and France and inspired by 19th century medicinal yerba santa tinctures, this bracing digestif can be enjoyed neat or as an exceptional cocktailing ingredient. Experiment using Chaparral as you would Chartreuse, Becherovka, or Strega.

Tasting Notes

The word chaparral defines dry vegetation consisting of tangled shrubs and thorny bushes; as any Californian knows, this perfectly describes a large portion of the state’s iconic, rolling landscape.

Brucato Chaparral evokes this terroir with an amaro rooted in the traditional, herbal alpine liqueurs of Italy and France. A base of California-sourced neutral grape spirit is enlivened with featured botanicals of yerba santa, anise, mint, cardamom, California bay leaf, tarragon, and clove. A total of 20 ingredients are incorporated with the base distillate in a stepped maceration process, and the resulting spirit rests for at least two months in stainless steel before it is sweetened with cane sugar.

Designed to intuitively replace spirits such as Chartreuse, Becherovka, or Strega in classic applications, Chaparral yet imparts a distinct character. A nose of green tea, bay leaf, and mint introduces a warm and bright palate of yellow herbs, cinnamon, and anise. Cardamom blooms late, leading into big notes of mint on the finish. Non-chill filtered and with a hue supplied only by its botanicals, enjoy this 46% ABV-spirit in mixed drinks or as an after-dinner treat.