It seems like everywhere I look, people are drinking amaro. Maybe you’ve seen Florence Pugh waltzing around Venice with an Aperol spritz. Or you’ve been unable to ignore social media posts about Emma D’Arcy’s iconic “Negroni Sbagliato…with prosecco in it.” Regardless if you’re an amaro newbie or you drink some every weekend, you can’t deny that it’s having a moment.

But what exactly is amaro? In the simplest terms, it’s an Italian-style bittersweet liqueur. Amari, the plural for amaro, is an umbrella category encompassing spirits from every corner of Italy that come in various colors and flavors.