My love for amaro started innocently enough, almost two decades ago, when I sipped my first Negroni. At that time, Campari and Fernet-Branca were the only bittersweet suspects you’d likely encounter behind a bar in the States, and it would be years until the handful of other Italian imports like Zucca, Cynar, and Ramazzotti would be joined by the legions of legacy and new-look, Italian-born amari that now stand alongside domestic releases on the back bars of restaurants and bars across America.

Since then, I’ve gone down the rabbit hole exploring and celebrating Italy’s bittersweet herbal liqueurs. You’ll find more than 150 unique bottles of amaro on austere metro shelves in my Brooklyn apartment. The ever-growing collection is made up of well-known brands from Italy, early bottlings from American producers, limited-edition releases, and vintage amaro dating back to the 1960s.