Cynar - artichoke liqueur

Cynar is proof that almost anything can be used to make alcohol. Someone must have tried eating an artichoke and thought that it would be way better as a drink. Of course, that could be true of a lot of things.

Cynar is essentially a light-weight amaro (only 16.5% alcohol) that has been infused with the essence of artichokes along with 13 other botanical ingredients. It starts off sweet and ends with a bitter herbal note. It's made in Italy and is traditionally drunk neat or with soda water.

I find it a tad bitter for drinking straight. A number of cocktail aficionados have begun using it in cocktails, though I think it's definitely a second or third tier staple because there aren't really a lot of recipes for it. If you buy a bottle, be sure to keep it in the refrigerator to preserve it since it's so low alcohol and you'll probably be storing it for a long time. It is, of course, fun to serve this to guests as a novelty item and watch them furrow their brows at the thought of drinking artichoke liqueur.

Here's a quite pleasant cocktail recipe adapted from the book Food and Wine Cocktails 2006 which has a nice twist of bitter and sweet, with the emphasis on bitter.

Amer Mousseux

1 oz Cynar

1/2 oz Campari
1/2 oz fresh orange juice

3 oz chilled Champagne

Shake the first 3 ingredients with ice, pour into a glass or flute and top with the champage. If you're feeling fancy, add an orange twist.

Cynar is available at a decent number of stores state-wide, though only in the 1 liter size.