Amaro-Coke simple to make, easy on your holiday budget

Just hours before dinner last Thanksgiving, we realized that all we had on hand for drinks were wine and beer — fine but insufficiently, um, festive.

Cocktails are festive, but alas, we didn’t have the ingredients, nor the extra hands needed, to mix drinks for 20-plus guests. We did, however, have three bottles of different amaros, the now popular Italian liquors infused with sometimes bitter herbal essences. Amaros (or amari, the plural in Italian) include beverages like Fernet-Branca, Averna and Cynar; you’ve probably noticed some of them on bar shelves.

We set up a table with the amari, Coke, ice and glasses, and we invited guests to make their own Fernet-Coke. The recipe could not be simpler: add a splash of Fernet-Branca (or any amaro) to Coke and ice. Boom, done.

Amari are usually served as digestifs, beverages enjoyed in small sips after big meals. There’s no reason, however, why you can’t have an amaro-based cocktail before dinner. Either way, you benefit from the stomach-settling properties of both the amaro and the Coke.

Most guests took very well to making their own amaro-Coke. As hosts we learned:

Letting guests make their own amaro-Coke (or any simple cocktail) is fun and enables them to mix exactly the drink they want Amaro (such as Averna) and Coke is a festive cocktail that guests can mix on their own. (using more or less amaro has notes of mint, citrus or Coke). and cardamom; Averna is

Three 750-milliliter sweet and lighter, with bottles of amaro — FernetBranca, flowery licorice flavors; Averna and Cynar Cynar comes on most — came in at around $90 aggressively, with deep (tax included). Add Coke, green flavors and pronounced and you have several dozen bitterness. But cocktails for about $100. there are dozens of other

Guests may be apprehensive brands. Experiment. As for of amaro, which the Coke, take a cue from means “bitter,” and in English, Edoardo Branca, of the “bitter” is not a positive Italian distillery family. word: Think “bitter “I prefer using Mexican end,” “bitter feelings” and Coke in Fernet con Coca,” so on. But one sip of the says Branca. “Mexican amaro-Coke, and they Coke is made with real smile. It’s an uncomplicated, sugar cane. Because all pleasing cocktail. ingredients in FernetBranca

For guests who are really are natural, we digging the amaro, make a recommend mixing it with Toronto. This cocktail is products that are also also super simple (our natural.” favorite kind): 2 ounces rye, Mexican Coke, once ¼ ounce each amaro and available only at neighborhood simple syrup, two drops of bodegas, is now sold Angostura bitters; stir, at larger stores, including strain into a rocks glass and Target. It’s more expensive garnish with orange peel. than regular Coke (about

After dinner, you can $6.50 for a six-pack), but serve any remaining amari hey, it’s the holidays! neat as digestifs.

Of our three very different amari, Fernet-Branca