Bergia Rabarbaro 1870 700ml

Bergia Rabarbaro 1870 is an Italian rhubarb amaro first made by the Bergia distillery in Turin, founded in 1870. Its flavour comes from rhubarb rhizomes, the aromatic root of the plant, and it is bottled at 16% ABV, a gentle strength for a bitter liqueur.

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Rabarbaro was one of Bergia’s flagship liqueurs, once sold as a “rhubarb infusion”, and it is still made to the house recipe. The rhizomes are steeped in water and neutral spirit, then that macerate is blended with sugar and other aromatic botanicals. The whole process takes about 12 months. Using the root rather than the pink garden stalk gives a darker, earthier, slightly smoky bitterness instead of tart fruit. The brand is now part of the Montenegro group, the Bologna company behind Amaro Montenegro.

At 16% it is lighter than most amari, so it is easy to sip. Serve 45ml neat or over a large ice cube with a strip of orange peel after a meal. For a long drink, top it with soda water or tonic and add an orange slice, a simple low-strength spritz. Bartenders also use it in place of other bitter liqueurs in a Negroni-style drink or a rhubarb sour with gin and lemon. For food, try it alongside dark chocolate, rhubarb crumble, almond biscotti or a cheese board with aged pecorino. Once opened, keep it sealed and out of direct light. It suits amaro fans who want something a little different, and curious drinkers looking for a gentler bitter to start with.