Santa Maria al Monte is a historic Italian amaro from Genoa, with origins dating back to 1858. According to tradition, the friars of the Santuario di Nostra Signora del Monte gave their centuries old recipe for a herbal elixir to Vincenzo Castrovillari. He refined the formula using his knowledge of herbs and aromatic plants, laying the foundations for Amaro Santa Maria al Monte. Production later passed to the Vignale family, who preserved the tradition for several generations.

The recipe is based on a large selection of herbs, spices, flowers, roots and barks. Known ingredients include myrrh, rhubarb, wormwood, cardamom and saffron. These botanicals are processed through infusions, extracts and decoctions before the different components are blended and allowed to rest for an extended period.

With its pronounced bitterness and relatively high strength of 40% ABV, Santa Maria al Monte belongs to the more powerful styles of Italian amaro. The brand forms part of Gruppo Caffo 1915 and is enjoyed both as a digestif and as an ingredient in cocktails. It represents a classic and distinctive expression of Liguria’s bitter liqueur tradition.