Ingredients
The Lucano botanical framework — over thirty herbs led by wormwood, bitter orange, angelica and holy thistle — infused at higher concentration and rested in wood. The oak contribution is what separates it from the standard bottling: more vanilla, more tannin, less candied sweetness.
- ✦Wormwood
- ✦Holy thistle
- ✦Bitter orange peel
- ✦Angelica
- ✦Elder
- ✦Sage
- ✦Gentian root
- ✦Musk yarrow
- ✦Oak-rested spirit
History of the Brand
Pasquale Vena, a pastry maker in Pisticci, created Amaro Lucano in 1894 and built it into the house amaro of the Savoy court.
The company remains family-owned and is one of the few major Italian amaro brands never absorbed into a multinational group.
Anniversario was created to mark the brand's centenary in 1994: a limited, higher-strength, oak-rested expression aimed at drinkers who found the standard bottling too sweet.
It has since become a permanent premium tier, and is the bottle Lucano puts forward when it wants to be judged as a sipping amaro rather than a supermarket staple.
Tasting Characteristics
Dried fig and orange peel, vanilla and oak, wormwood and warm spice.
Fuller and less sugary than the classic — dried fruit, cocoa, bitter herb and a tannic oak grip.
Long, dry and herbal, with wood and gentian holding the end.
Flavor meter
How to serve it
- 01Neat in a small tumbler, room temperature — it rewards air.
- 02Over one large cube with an orange twist.
- 03In a Black Manhattan where the oak echoes the whiskey.
- 04In an Old Pal variation in place of part of the vermouth.
- 05Alongside dark chocolate or an aged caciocavallo.
Where to Get It
Less widely distributed than standard Lucano. Specialty retailers and Italian importers carry it; in Italy it is on most well-stocked shelves.
Specialty bottle shops
Look in the premium amaro section; $35–$45 for 700ml.
Online spirits retailers
Available through Italian-focused importers.
Italy
Widely sold, and cheapest at source in Basilicata.
Affiliate buying links coming soon.
Amaro Lucano Anniversario FAQ
What is Amaro Lucano Anniversario?
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A premium, oak-rested expression of Amaro Lucano released for the brand's 1994 centenary, bottled at 34% ABV in Pisticci, Basilicata.
How is Anniversario different from regular Amaro Lucano?
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It is stronger (34% vs 28%), less sweet, more concentrated in its herb infusion, and rested in oak, which adds vanilla, tannin and a longer dry finish.
What does Amaro Lucano Anniversario taste like?
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Dried fig and orange peel, cocoa and vanilla from the wood, wormwood bitterness and a dry, tannic, herbal finish.
Is Anniversario worth the extra money?
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If you drink amaro neat, yes — it is a genuine sipping bottle. For spritzes and highballs the standard Lucano does the job for less.
How should I drink Amaro Lucano Anniversario?
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Neat at room temperature, or over one large cube. In cocktails it shines in stirred whiskey drinks like a Black Manhattan.