Amaro Making Kit by OurHands - Make Your own Amaro Italian Liqueur from Delicious Natural botanicals

I have never tried amaro before so I was really intrigued by this amaro making kit. It’s really easy to make and along with the items included in the kit, all you need is some cheap vodka (or bourbon), an empty bottle and a little patience. I found it a little difficult to grind the botanicals in a mortar and pestle as they are already quite small so I don’t think it made that much difference by grinding them. You need to shake the bottle frequently and as the two weeks of infusing went on I could see the spirit darkening. It’s a bit of a faff to strain it after infusing but the kit includes everything you need and you just need to add some honey (or sugar syrup) to balance the bitterness of the drink. Now that I have made the vodka infusion, I’m looking forward to trying the bourbon one.

Really looking forward to making tasty Italian liquors with this kit! Contents exactly as advertised, and fortunately I already have the flip-top bottles ready to be filled.

I'm a great fan of bitters liqueur as an aperitif. The sweetness combined with bitterness and spice makes a great drink when combined with ice, sparkling water or fruit juice. So the idea of making my own with this kit, using cheap vodka as a base, is very attractive and sounded fun. The kit comes with everything need to make around five to six 65cl bottles of bitter liqueur, using just two 70cl bottles of supermarket own-brand vodka, gin or whisky. The supplied spices, herbs and coffee beans are blended together to make three different flavours. Each mix is then crushed in a mortar (or small herb blender) and poured into a measure of the raw spirit. Once sealed up in a bottle or jar the mix is left to steep for 2-3 weeks to develop the flavour. There's lots of friendly advice and inspiration in the accompanying instructions about how to arrive at an acceptable flavour, depending on taste of course. The maker's literature gives a good start in exploring these traditional drinks from Italy and France. Once steeping is done a simple sugar syrup is made from normal caster sugar and water to sweeten the resulting alcoholic blend to taste. Or honey can be used instead to give a different flavour. Making the liqueurs has been easy, it doesn't take long and the flavours have been authentic and delicious. There is a cost-saving as each 70cl bottle of alcohol can produce two bottles of bitters, the sugar syrup bulking up the amount and lowering the alcoholic strength near to that of standard branded equivalents. I've thoroughly enjoyed discovering the secrets of bitters and am now inspired to continue with my own blends, similar to those of Italian and French ones that have been made for centuries. The kit is very good value for the modest price and the packaging makes it an interesting gift. The three different flavours supplied, based on spicy, citrus and coffee blends, are all very acceptable and make a refreshing change from the standard mixers. I recommend this product.

Gave it to a friend who is a big fan of Amaro, along with a bottle of Bourbon - he was thrilled and said "I've heard about this couple and their company! Can't wait to try this!" It was a hit. Quality packaging, felt good about gifting it too.

This is a great product and would get 5 stars if the spirit was included, but you have to supply your own. It's basically a kit that shows you how to flavour a pre-existing spirit, for example vodka. Reminds me of flavouring vodka with skittles as a student - but a lot more high brow! For the price you pay there isn't much actual product, but they do instruct you on what to do and provide accessories. I'm yet to taste the results as it takes a while to produce, but the ingredients all look fresh and high quality! It's a great idea for a gift or activity.