Opius Amaro is a handcrafted 0.0% non-alcoholic elixir from Belgium with a bright, bitter profile built around angelica root, lemon peel, wormwood, coriander seed, and almond. Crisp citrus comes first, followed by floral, herbaceous notes and a dry bitterness that lingers beautifully on the finish.
Despite the name, this is a lighter, more citrus-driven expression of amaro. It’s fresh and aromatic rather than dark and syrupy, with enough bitterness and botanical intensity to give a cocktail real structure.
Why We Love It
Opius makes some of the most interesting alternative spirits we’ve tasted because they aren’t trying to recreate something that already exists. Amaro is especially good when you want bitterness without a lot of sweetness. It’s bright, complex, and has a surprisingly persistent finish for a 0.0% spirit. Opius makes its elixirs in small batches in Belgium using a labor-intensive combination of fermentation, hydro-distillation, tinctures, and maceration.
One important note: Opius Amaro contains almond and is not appropriate for anyone with a nut allergy.
How to Drink Opius Amaro
For an easy serve, pour Opius Amaro over plenty of ice with Indian tonic and finish with an expressed lemon peel. The tonic opens up the citrus and botanicals while letting that lovely bitter finish stay front and center.
Cheeky & Dry Signature Serve — Bitter Lemon: 1½ oz Opius Amaro, ¾ oz fresh lemon juice, ½ oz honey syrup, and 2½ oz sparkling water. Shake the Opius, lemon, and honey with ice, strain over fresh ice, top with sparkling water, and finish with a generous lemon twist and a sprig of thyme.
Pair it with: crispy artichokes with lemon and parmesan, grilled shrimp with salsa verde, whipped ricotta with charred citrus, roast chicken with herbs and preserved lemon, or salty Marcona almonds.
