Amaro Nonino
A Friulian amaro built on a grappa base, honeyed and saffron-warm, with the bitterness worn lightly. It carries enough weight to hold an equal-parts drink, which is why the Paper Plane was written around it.
Quick Facts
Flavour Profile
Primary Flavours
Tasting Notes
Bright citrus on the nose followed by layered herbal bitterness, subtle spice, and a lightly sweet, dry finish. Less aggressive than many amari, with a clean, elegant structure.
Recommended Brand
Recommended
Amaro Nonino Quintessentia: one producer, and a substitute changes the drink rather than saving money
Storage & Handling
Store upright in a cool, dark place. Once opened, reseal tightly after use. Shelf-stable at room temperature; refrigeration is optional but can help preserve aromatics over long periods.
Shelf Life
Unopened: Indefinite. Opened: Best within 12–18 months for optimal aromatics
Usage
Poured as a primary modifier rather than a dash, most famously in equal parts with bourbon, Aperol and lemon in a Paper Plane. Neat over one cube after dinner is its other life, and the one it was made for.
The Gentle Door Into Amaro
Nonino is the gentle way into the category: grappa-based, honeyed, saffron-warm, with the bitterness worn lightly. Where amari can feel like homework, this reads as a welcome.
The grappa base is what separates it from most of the family. Where a neutral or wine base leaves the botanicals to do everything, grappa brings its own fruit and warmth, which is much of why the bottle tastes rounder than its bitterness alone would suggest.
The Paper Plane
The Paper Plane made it famous: equal parts bourbon, Aperol, lemon and Nonino, a modern classic that turned a Friulian family bottle into a bar staple almost overnight.
It works because the amaro is doing structural work rather than seasoning. Its honeyed bitterness bridges the bourbon and the Aperol, and the drink balances on that bridge. Substituting a sterner amaro does not give a more serious Paper Plane; it gives a drink that no longer holds together.
Against Campari
The two sit at opposite ends of the bitter range. Nonino is orange and honey warmth with a bitter finish arriving late; Campari is bitterness used as architecture, present from the first moment and unmistakable throughout.
That makes them poor substitutes for one another in either direction. A drink written for Campari and made with Nonino reads sweet and unstructured, and the reverse reads harsh and thin.
Drinking It Neat
A small pour, one cube or none, after dinner. It is a digestivo by design and the grappa base shows best without company, which is the honest entry point to the whole amaro habit.
It is worth handling gently in cocktails for the same reason. The aromatics flatten if the drink is shaken too long, so a Paper Plane wants a short, hard shake rather than a patient one.
It keeps well, being a spirit at 35% rather than a wine, so an open bottle holds its character for months without refrigeration. That makes it an easier bottle to own than vermouth, which fades within weeks and is the more common thing to find dead at the back of a fridge.
Pro Tip
If an amaro cocktail tastes muddy rather than complex, it’s usually over dilution, not the recipe.
Top Tips
- Use as a primary modifier, not just a dash: it is designed to carry weight in equal-parts drinks.
- Avoid over-dilution; its delicate aromatics flatten if shaken too long.
- Works best when paired with citrus or dry spirits rather than heavy sweetness.
Possible Substitutions
- Montenegro (lighter, sweeter, less bitter)
Production Method
Produced by infusing a proprietary blend of herbs, roots, spices, and citrus peels in grape brandy, followed by aging and blending to achieve balance and consistency.
History & Context
Produced by the Nonino family since 1897, Amaro Nonino gained modern cocktail prominence in the early 21st century, most notably through its use in the Paper Plane. Its approachable bitterness helped reintroduce amaro to a new generation of drinkers and bartenders.
Common Questions
What is amaro?
The Italian family of bitter herbal liqueurs, built for after dinner: botanicals, bitterness and sweetness held in balance. The category runs from gentle to punishing, and Nonino sits at the gentle, elegant end of it.
Why is Amaro Nonino in the Paper Plane?
Because the drink was written around it. Equal parts bourbon, Aperol, lemon and Nonino, where its honeyed bitterness is the bridge between the whiskey and the Aperol. A sterner amaro does not make it more serious, it stops it balancing.
How bitter is it compared to Campari?
Far gentler, and different in shape. Nonino is orange and honey warmth with the bitterness arriving late; Campari is bitterness as architecture, present throughout. They substitute poorly for each other in either direction.
How do you drink it neat?
A small pour, one cube or none, after dinner. It is a digestivo by design and the grappa base shows best without company, which makes it the honest entry point to the whole category for anyone who has bounced off sterner bottles.