Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Arugula in amaro? Italian trip inspires Chicagoans’ new spirit
Sometimes when two people love each other, they get together and make an amaro out of arugula.
Italian-style amari, those classic bittersweet digestive liqueurs, have been cropping up on cocktail menus. Served neat to be sipped after dinner or shaken and stirred into all sorts of cocktails, amaro is an of-the-moment spirit.
Oak Park resident Pat Magner has been an amaro lover for 40 years, since he was in Florence, Italy, studying architecture. On a recent trip with partner Cindy Tegtmeyer to Puglia, they found an amaro that really spoke to them. On return, they bravely thought, “Let’s make an amaro,” and the experimentation began.
Cindy, a headhunter by trade, is used to “finding things, and digging until I find what I want.” The two worked hard to source the botanicals they needed to create their ideal amaro. They asked West Side hydroponic produce growers Urban Till to grow an extra-bitter strain of arugula as their main ingredient, plus to supply sage and mint. They ordered all kinds of mysterious spices (their website reveals the use of coffee beans, hazelnuts and vanilla bean, but when interviewed they wouldn’t divulge a single other thing), dried herbs, and bittering agents from Mountain Rose Herbs in Oregon. The Seville oranges they craved for their traditional deep bitter citrus notes came from California; Magner and Tegtmeyer hand peel, vacuum seal and freeze the whole haul.
To Magner, it’s important that their process remains “mindful and respectful of the history of what Italian amari really are.” They start with 192 proof neutral grain spirits, French wheat-based, and dilute with filtered water to 80 proof. They add their 19 botanicals in 300-liter stainless tanks in their Austin Avenue facility and allow the mixture to steep, essentially at room temperature, for two weeks. Next they add a syrup crafted from Stover’s Michigan honey and allow it to mellow for two more weeks, then strain off the solids and bottle. The result is a complexly bitter brew, with appropriate citrus and herbal tones and a distinct chocolate-y aroma and flavor. What it doesn’t contain are any artificial colorants or flavorings that would disrespect tradition.
Though the name of the liqueur, Amaro Cinpatrazzo, might sound Italian, it’s a made-up word — cin (for Cindy) + pat + razzo (a slangy southern Italian word for arugula or rocket).
Although most commonly served neat after a meal, Amaro Cinpatrazzo is a great excuse for extending tonic season well past summer; it’s like doubling down on the bitter with a nice hit of sweet. Mix it on ice with your favorite tonic water, and garnish with lemon or orange instead of lime, for an aperitif that brings a love of Italy back home.
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