Enter Amaro Marasso, the new kid on the block made not in a remote Alpine village but right in the middle of suburban Milan. ‘Marasso’ is Italian for adder, and its bite makes up for its lack of heritage: 16 carefully selected ingredients are infused in each batch to give it an explosive aroma and a firmly bitter finish. Contrary to one’s habits, you can drink Marasso before or after dinner, neat or mixed, on ice or just as it is.

Amaro (Italian for ‘bitter’) is a typical bittersweet liqueur traditionally served after a meal, before or alongside an espresso. They say it helps with digestion, whereas we like to think it’s more of an excuse to get a little bit tipsier. Big and small distilleries all over Italy make their own amaro using local herbs, spices, fruits and occasionally more exotic ingredients; legend has it the family recipes are handed out from one generation to the other and are closely guarded secrets.

The visual identity of Amaro Marasso takes a stand against the old-fashioned, apothecary-style look of most of these classic liqueurs. A colour blocked orange adder and a stern proprietary black lettering are the only two visual assets. Working closely with printers we selected a heavyweight textured paper label and added a raised spot gloss on the logo for added contrast against the background. Complex but uncomplicated, like the drink itself.