40 | EDIBLE SF WINTER 2025 PARTING SHOT There are few happy hour perches in the city better than Waterbar on the Embarcadero. At the end of one nearly two years ago, I perused the amaro list and one maker from San Francisco that I wasn't familiar with yet popped up: Brucato Amaro. Through the aged fig, bitter berry and chocolate notes of Brucato's Woodlands Amaro, my view of the ocean was trampled by the imagination of being among coastal redwoods and valley oak trees of the North Bay. Fast forward to 2025, and Brucato has established itself as the most innovative and impactful local amaro company, on the strength of what's emanating from their distillery and bar/ restaurant at the Mission District's Bar Brucato. On a recent jaunt to Calistoga a bartender Sam's Social Club swapped in Woodlands for the usual Averna in my black manhattan and the cocktail exploded with layers of chocolate (cacao nibs, dark chocolate, cocoa powder) mellowed tobacco and toasty vanilla; all key flavors for a perfect wintertime bev. Inspired by that bartender, I go hyperlocal in my spin on a black manhattan, using either Old Potrero Rye from SF's Hotaling Spirits (the OG local craft rye), for the maple and spiced vanilla from the charred new American oak barrel finish, or Unsinkable's Port Wine barrel aged Rye from Sausalito Liquor Co. Both have a spiciness that balances out the bitterness of Woodlands in masterfully symbiotic ways. I use a dash of Angostura bitters and then a half sleeve of salted Dandelion Chocolate bitters from Workhorse Rye. Woodlands has a slightly lower ABV than Averna (21% vs 29%), which lets me make a longer pour of it and heighten its place in this essential winter local cocktail for the SF-minded. Writer—Adrian Spinelli Brucato Black Manhattan Serves 1 Ingredients: 2.25oz Old Potrero Rye or Unsinkable Rye 1oz Brucato Woodlands Amaro Dash of Angostura bitters Dash of Cacao Bitters Brandied cherry Instructions: Combine ingredients in a mixing glass over ice. Stir vigorously for 30 seconds. Strain and serve in a Nick and Nora glass. Garnish with brandied cherry. Note: I find brandied cherries to be so much more interesting than those swimming in syrup; after all, I'm not drinking a Shirley Temple here. I recommend Griottines morello cherries soaked in Kirsch brandy, always available at a proper neighborhood bottle shop like Noe Valley Wine & Spirits.
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