The star of the show is over 650 varieties of amaro.
Go to Il Marchese, a very popular restaurant in Rome!

When visiting cocktail bars in Rome, the Italian capital, there is one bar that is often recommended by local bartenders.It is Il Marchese, an osteria where you can enjoy Amaro cocktails.We spoke to Fabrizio Valeriani, manager overseeing the entire group's bars, and Tumi Sachs, bartender at the Rome location.

writer：Megumi Ueda（ローマ在住）

What is the image of Amaro in Italy?

Il Marchese" is located on Via Lipetta, a historic street in the heart of Rome.

It is easily accessible, just off Piazza del Popolo, a major tourist attraction.

Open all year round from lunch to aperitivo, dinner, and after-dinner cocktails, the restaurant is busy at all hours of the day.

Upon entering the restaurant, you are greeted with a smile from the friendly staff and shown to your seat.

The first thing that catches your eye is the back bar, which is crammed with bottles.

More than 650 varieties of amaro have been collected from all over Italy.

The collection is unparalleled, ranging from rare brands not found in the mainstream to locally produced amaros, including some rare ones made in monasteries in the olden days.

The collection is growing at a rapid pace, and plans are underway to build new shelves because the current ones are no longer able to accommodate it all.

Amaro is a part of Italian culture itself and is highly regarded abroad.Customers come from all over the world for this vast collection of bottles.Many of our international customers are very knowledgeable about bitters, and many come to the counter with a list of Amaro's they want to try," says manager Fabrizio.

The history of amaro is very old, with origins dating back to Roman times and the Middle Ages.

In monasteries, herbs, flowers, bark, roots, and other medicinal plants were soaked in alcohol to extract their medicinal properties and used as medicine.

This has been popular among Italians as a digestive aid and body warmer.

For this reason, amaro has a strong image in Italy as an after-dinner drink to be consumed straight after a meal.

However, in other countries such as New York and London, where such a concept does not exist, amaro has been actively incorporated as an ingredient in cocktails.

In New York, amaro has been used in many cocktails since the early 2000s, when the legendary "Milk & Honey" bar was popular.