AMARO AFICIONADO
Wine-Based Alpine Amaro

Amaro Pasubio

Wild blueberry and mountain pine in a wine base — the Dolomites in a glass.

Trentino, Northern ItalyAmaro PasubioTraditional recipe; current bottling 20th century
Producer
Lorenzo Cappelletti S.p.A.
Where it's made
Trento, beneath Monte Pasubio · Trentino, Northern Italy
Founded
Traditional recipe; current bottling 20th century
Strength
17% ABV
Aging
Wine-base infusion; no cask aging
Typical price
$28–$36 / 750ml
Style
Wine-Based Alpine Amaro
Flavor profile
Blueberry fruit over resinous pine and gentle bitterness

Ingredients

Wild mountain blueberries and pine — needles and buds gathered around Monte Pasubio — infused into a wine base with alpine herbs. Named for the mountain that saw some of the fiercest fighting of the First World War.

  • Wild alpine blueberry (mirtillo)
  • Mountain pine needles and buds
  • Gentian root
  • Alpine herbs
  • Wine base

History of the Brand

Monte Pasubio, on the Trentino-Veneto border, is best known as a First World War battlefield; the amaro takes its name from the peak and its botanicals from its slopes.

Cappelletti makes it the old Trentino way, on a wine base rather than neutral spirit, in the same house that produces Aperitivo Americano Rosso and Sfumato for export.

Blueberry liqueurs are a genuine alpine tradition — households have macerated mirtilli for generations — and Pasubio is the commercial expression of that habit.

It reached American bar shelves in the 2010s and became the go-to bottle for anyone chasing a fruit-and-forest note without artificial flavouring.

Tasting Characteristics

Nose

Crushed blueberry, pine resin, damp forest floor.

Palate

Sweet-tart wild berry, then pine sap, gentian and a savoury herbal edge.

Finish

Medium, resinous, drying.

Flavor meter

Bitter
4/10
Sweet
6/10
Herbal
8/10
Citrus
2/10
Spice
3/10
Body
5/10

How to serve it

  • 01Neat over one large cube after dinner.
  • 02In place of sweet vermouth in a Manhattan for a berry-and-pine version.
  • 03With soda and lemon as a low-ABV highball.
  • 04Split with gin in a stirred alpine cocktail.
  • 05Poured over vanilla gelato.

Where to Get It

Available in the US through specialty importers. Wine-based, so refrigerate after opening.

Specialty bottle shops

Usually near Sfumato and Cardamaro, $28–$36.

Online spirits retailers

Search 'Cappelletti Amaro Pasubio'.

Trentino

Widely sold locally, often alongside grappa and mirtillo liqueurs.

Affiliate buying links coming soon.

Amaro Pasubio FAQ

What is Amaro Pasubio?

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A wine-based alpine amaro from Cappelletti in Trentino, infused with wild mountain blueberries and pine from the slopes of Monte Pasubio, bottled at 17% ABV.

What does Amaro Pasubio taste like?

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Crushed wild blueberry over resinous pine and gentian, sweet-tart at first and drying on the finish.

Does Amaro Pasubio need refrigeration?

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Yes. It is built on a wine base, so store it in the fridge once opened.

What cocktails work with Pasubio?

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Use it in place of sweet vermouth in Manhattan-style drinks, in a soda highball, or split with gin in stirred alpine cocktails.

Is Pasubio bitter?

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Only moderately. Fruit and pine lead, with gentian bitterness playing a supporting role — a good gateway amaro.