St. George Bruto Americano Bitter Aperitif (75cl, 24%)

A California-made bitter aperitivo from St. George Spirits, founded in 1982 in Alameda, California. It is built on gentian root bitterness with West Coast botanicals including balsam fir and Cascara sagrada bark, and achieves its natural ruby-red colour from cochineal rather than synthetic dyes. Production uses a dual-extraction technique: some botanicals are hot-steeped for deeper bittering compounds, others cold-infused for brighter aromatics. The bill centres on gentian root, California-grown Seville oranges, balsam fir and Cascara sagrada bark. The nose shows vibrant citrus, cinnamon and sandalwood, with a clean, woodsy balsam fir thread. The palate is unapologetically bitter from gentian, opening into an herbaceous mid-palate of blood orange, clove and cinnamon, reading slightly sweeter than Campari on first sip. The finish is long and drying, with lingering dark chocolate, menthol and persistent citrus peel bitterness.