Averna
Averna is a 29% ABV bitter liqueur from Sicily, made in Caltanissetta since 1868 from a recipe the prior of the Abbey of Santo Spirito gave Salvatore Averna in 1859. It is dark, sweet first and bitter at the finish, with bitter orange, lemon and pomegranate among its ingredients. In a Black Manhattan it takes the vermouth's place, and in our Brooklyn it covers for Amer Picon.
Quick Facts
Away from light and heat with the cap on. It does not need refrigerating.
None of the 14 listed allergens. Recipes change: check the bottle.
About Averna
Flavour Profile
Primary Flavours
Tasting Notes
Bitter orange and liquorice with dark caramel, herbs behind, and bitterness that waits until the sweetness has passed.
An abbey recipe, sold since 1868
Averna's origin is dated and named. In 1859 Fra Girolamo, prior of the Abbey of Santo Spirito near Caltanissetta, gave Salvatore Averna the recipe for a herbal infusion, and Averna began selling it in 1868. The company says the recipe has not changed since: herbs, roots and spices with pomegranate and the oils of bitter orange and lemon.
Sweet first, bitter last
At 29% ABV Averna is mid-range among amari for strength. Its sweetness arrives first, carried by caramel and bitter orange, and the herbal bitterness comes at the finish. That order makes it easier going than a menthol-heavy fernet: it reads as a dark, sweet liqueur until the end of the sip.
Averna against sweet vermouth and Fernet-Branca
Averna
- Category
- Liqueur
- Strength
- 29% ABV
- Sugar
- 100g/L or more (liqueur minimum)
- Bitterness
- Moderate, at the finish
- Once opened
- A year or more, capped
Sweet vermouth
- Category
- Aromatised wine
- Strength
- About 16% ABV
- Sugar
- 130g/L or more if labelled sweet
- Bitterness
- Low to moderate
- Once opened
- Three or four weeks in the fridge
Fernet-Branca
- Category
- Sold as a bitter
- Strength
- 39% ABV
- Sugar
- Low
- Bitterness
- High, with menthol
- Once opened
- A year or more, sealed
| Bottle | Category | Strength | Sugar | Bitterness | Once opened |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Averna | Liqueur | 29% ABV | 100g/L or more (liqueur minimum) | Moderate, at the finish | A year or more, capped |
| Sweet vermouth | Aromatised wine | About 16% ABV | 130g/L or more if labelled sweet | Low to moderate | Three or four weeks in the fridge |
| Fernet-Branca | Sold as a bitter | 39% ABV | Low | High, with menthol | A year or more, sealed |
It takes the vermouth's place
The Black Manhattan keeps the proportions of our Manhattan and changes one bottle: Averna where the sweet vermouth was. That makes it darker, more bitter and sweeter, so it wants a full stir.
In the Brooklyn, 7.5ml of Averna replaces Amer Picon, the orange bitter from France named in the 1908 recipe, which has since changed.
Keeping and serving
As a 29% liqueur it keeps like a spirit, and an opened bottle needs no refrigeration to stay good for a year and longer if capped. Serve it neat in a small glass after dinner, or over one cube; very cold, the herbs go quiet.
Using Averna
Usage
Neat after dinner, or over a single cube. In cocktails it replaces sweet vermouth outright in the Black Manhattan, 20ml to 50ml of rye, and a 7.5ml dose covers for the hard-to-find Amer Picon in our Brooklyn.
Pro Tip
Give a Black Manhattan a proper 20 to 30 second stir. It holds more sugar than the vermouth version, and dilution lets the herbs show through the sweetness.
Top Tips
- In a Black Manhattan, swap it for all of the vermouth, not half.
- Drink it cool, not ice-cold, when neat; deep cold mutes the herbs.
- An opened bottle needs no fridge; a capped bottle in a dark cupboard is enough.
Possible Substitutions
- Sweet Vermouth: With a dash of aromatic bitters: lighter, an emergency only
Production Method
Herbs, roots and spices, with pomegranate and the oils of bitter orange and lemon, steeped in alcohol and sweetened; 29% ABV. The recipe itself stays private.
History & Context
Salvatore Averna, born in Caltanissetta in 1802, was given the recipe for a herbal infusion in 1859 by Fra Girolamo, prior of the Abbey of Santo Spirito. He began producing it commercially in 1868, and the company says the recipe has not changed since. It was once bottled at 32%; it is 29% now.
More to explore
Common Questions
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Made with Averna
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Often Used With
Updated 10 October 2026