From Italian community clubs to high-end restaurants: the rise of amaro in Australia Callan Boys Photo: iStock For many decades in Australia, amaro was a drink rarely found outside Italian community clubs or the hands of bartenders after a shift. In the past five years, however, the bittersweet liqueur has gone from underground hit to high-end superstar, with an increasing number of distilleries, bars and restaurants pouring the herbal elixir. At least one chef is even making amaro at his restaurant. "When the second Victorian lockdown hit, I thought I better do something different," says Michael Ryan, owner-chef of two-hatted Beechworth restaurant Provenance. "I always loved amaro, so I set about extracting botanicals to blend my own."