The 10 Best Substitutes For Amaro Nonino

What can I use instead of Amaro Nonino? The best substitutes for Amaro Nonino are bitter liqueurs like Jägermeister. Try other Italian Amari, including Averna, Montenegro, Tosolini, Ramazzotti, Cynar, CioCiaro, Meletti, or Campari. For a non-alcoholic alternative, use Chinotto.

Amaro Nonino is a bittersweet, citrussy amaro with a grappa base and alpine botanicals like tamarind, saffron, wormwood, and thyme. With 35% ABV, Nonino is barrel-aged for up to five years. Amaro Nonino has sweet honey notes and a strong grape flavor, making neat Nonino an excellent digestif and aperitif. Here are the 10 best substitutes for Amaro Nonino.

The Best Amaro Nonino Substitutes

Jägermeister

Jägermeister is an unusual but excellent replacement for Amaro Nonino.

Although it’s known as a frat party staple, Jägermeister is a bitter herbal liqueur similar to Italian Amari. This beverage contains 56 botanicals, including anise, which gives it a strong licorice taste and aroma.

Rather than combining this liqueur with Red Bull as a Jagerbomb, sip Jägermeister as a digestif and savor its complex flavors.

It makes a delicious Nonino replacement in a Negroni or Paper Plane. Try it in a twist on the Old Fashioned, paired with gin and sweet vermouth, or mixed with ginger ale in a Highball.

Replace Amaro Nonino with the same amount of Jägermeister.

Averna

The best Italian bitter substitute for Amaro Nonino is Averna.

Produced as a herbal tonic in Sicily, Italy, since the 1800s, Averna has been manufactured commercially since 1868.

Containing botanicals like pomegranate, myrtle, anise, juniper, orange, and lemon, this herbaceous liqueur has a rich, bittersweet flavor and a thick, syrupy consistency.

Amaro Averna has a bittersweet flavor similar to Nonino, with comparable citrus and caramel notes and an ABV of 29.

Enjoy Amaro Averna as an alternative to Nonino as a digestif.

You can also use it to replace Nonino in cocktails like the Paper Plane, along with Aperol, bourbon, and lemon juice, or the Black Manhattan. It also enhances an Irish coffee or Hot Toddy.

Use Amaro Averna in a 1:1 ratio to replace Nonino.

Tosolini

Amaro Tosolini makes the perfect replacement for Amaro Nonino.

Properly called Amaro Tosolini Liquore d’Erbe, this botanical elixir is barrel-aged and high in alcohol.

It contains 15 herbal ingredients, including gentian, bitter orange, and a rare species of sea wormwood.

With a rich flavor profile, Tosolini tastes of citrus, stewed fruit, caramel, and spices.

Amaro Tosolini is an ideal digestif, as it lies on the bitter side of amari. Try it in the Brooklyn, a twist on the classic Manhattan, with whiskey, vermouth, and Maraschino liqueur.

Use the same amount of Tosolini as you would Nonino.

Montenegro

Another excellent alternative to Amara Nonino is Amaro Montenegro.

With a pedigree dating back to 1885, this favorite among Italians has a strong citrus flavor and velvety consistency.

The liqueur boasts over 40 botanical ingredients, including bitter orange peel, marjoram, coriander, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, giving it an appealingly earthy aroma.

Montenegro has more intense and sweeter citrus notes than Nonino, evident in its gorgeous orange color. Although it is still bitter, Amara Montenegro is fresher and lighter in alcohol, only 23 ABV.

Choose Amara Montenegro as a substitute for Nonino when you want a refreshing sipping beverage, whether neat, on the rocks, or in a spritz. It’s also delicious in fruity cocktails like the tropical Jungle Bird or a classic Negroni.

Replace Amaro Nonino with an equal amount of Montenegro.

Ramazzotti

Try Ramazzotti as a replacement for Amaro Nonino.

This famous Italian bitter is one of the sweeter amari and has been made according to the same recipe since 1815.

Its botanical ingredients are on the spicy side. They include orange, cinnamon, kola nut, and star anise, which gives it a characteristic licorice aroma.

With an undertone of berries and caramel, Ramazotti is a thick, luscious liqueur, delicious served with a slice of orange over ice as a digestif.

You can also replace Nonino with this beverage in cocktails, like the Mezcal Sour, with its lime and bitter notes.

Ramazotti can replace Nonino in similar quantities.

Cynar

This unique bitter liqueur is a delightful alternative to Amaro Nonino.

Cynar is an exciting new brand of amari created in the 1950s, contrasting with the old styles originally made by monks. It has more in common with the German Jägermeister than Italian amari, as it is 70-proof alcohol.

The liqueur is unusual in its use of the artichoke as a botanical ingredient, taking its name from the Latin for artichoke, Cynara scolymus. However, the flavor is herbal rather than vegetal.

Although Cynar is one of the tartest amari, it has a delicious complexity with spicy citrus and chocolate undertones.

Enjoy Cynar with a dash of citrus, in a spritz, or the Berlioni, a Negroni variant.

Use Cynar as you would Nonino, with the proviso that it is more potent.

CioCaro

One of the more traditional amari, Amaro CioCiaro is an excellent substitute for Amaro Nonino.

The Paolucci family has produced this bitter liqueur in the Ciociaro region of Italy since 1873. The original recipe contains the bitter herb gentian, lemon peel, kola nut, and cloves, which gives it a smoky citrus taste.

The bittersweet earthiness and luscious consistency of CioCiaro are often compared to a famous French bitter liqueur, Amer Picon.

CioCiaro’s flavor makes it a perfect alternative to Amaro Nonino. However, CioCiaro is 60% proof, far more potent than Nonino’s 35%.

Try CioCiaro instead of Nonino in the Amara Piasano, with its bitter citrus flavor, or the Paper Plane.

Replace Nonino with equal measures of CioCiaro.

Meletti

A popular amaro, Amaro Meletti, can replace Amaro Nonino.

Made on Italy’s Adriatic coast since 1870, Meletti is characterized by caramel and chocolate undertones from the kola nut.

This liqueur is less fruit-forward than other amari, with the bitterness somewhat tempered by other botanicals like anise and saffron.

The complex flavor of Amaro Meletti works best as a Nonino substitute neat or over ice as a digestif.

It’s also perfect with soda, tequila in a Manhatten, or whiskey sour. The chocolate-caramel profile marries well with rum.

Replace Nonino directly with Meletti.

Campari

The bar staple, Campari, is a convenient substitute for Amaro Nonino.

First created in 1860 by Gaspare Campari, this internationally renowned amaro now sells over three million cases yearly.

Recognizable by its vibrant red color, Campari is decidedly citrus-forward, fragrantly fruity, and particularly bitter.

Campari is a popular aperitif and digestif but comes into its own in cocktails. The Americano, Negroni, and Jungle Bird are all Campari favorites. Still, you can replace Nonino with Campari in the Paper Plane or a spritz.

Use Campari as a handy alternative to Nonino, with the proviso that it is more bitter and less complex in flavor.

Chinotto

Chinotto is a non-alcoholic substitute for Amaro Nonino.

Like amari, Chinotto contains over 20 botanicals, making it a more complex drink than the average soda. It has hints of cinnamon, rhubarb, and caramel. Although Chinotto looks like Coca-Cola, it is an orange-flavored beverage with a surprisingly bitter flavor.

Chinotto has a cult following in Italy, where it is typically enjoyed with fish.

Replace Amara Nonino with Chinotto to create mocktails or a virgin spritz.