Cynar () is an Italian bitter apéritif of the amaro variety. It is made from 13 herbs and plants, predominant among which is the

artichoke The globe artichoke (''Cynara cardunculus'' var. ''scolymus'' ),Rottenberg, A., and D. Zohary, 1996: "The wild ancestry of the cultivated artichoke." Genet. Res. Crop Evol. 43, 53–58. also known by the names French artichoke and green articho ...

(''Cynara scolymus''), from which the drink derives its name. Cynar is dark brown, has a bittersweet flavor, and its strength is 16.5%

ABV Alcohol by volume (abbreviated as ABV, abv, or alc/vol) is a standard measure of how much alcohol (ethanol) is contained in a given volume of an alcoholic beverage (expressed as a volume percent). It is defined as the number of millilitres (mL) o ...

. It was launched in Italy in 1952. Cynar is an apéritif (low sugar, low alcohol, meant to stimulate appetite), and can be consumed by itself, or in a number of cocktails. One such cocktail includes Cynar and soda (mixed with

soda water Carbonated water (also known as soda water, sparkling water, fizzy water, club soda, water with gas, in many places as mineral water, or especially in the United States as seltzer or seltzer water) is water containing dissolved carbon dioxide gas, ...

and lemon or orange slice, or with

cola Cola is a carbonated soft drink flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, citrus oils and other flavorings. Cola became popular worldwide after the American pharmacist John Stith Pemberton invented Coca-Cola, a trademarked brand, in 1886, which was imita ...

, eggnog,

tonic water Tonic water (or Indian tonic water) is a carbonated soft drink in which quinine is dissolved. Originally used as a prophylactic against malaria, tonic water usually has a significantly lower quinine content and is consumed for its distinctive b ...

, milk, or bitter lemon soda). Europeans often mix it with orange juice, especially in Switzerland and Southern Germany, where Cynar and orange juice is a very popular combination. A variation of the Negroni cocktail uses Cynar in place of

Campari Campari () is an Italian alcoholic liqueur, considered an apéritif (20.5%, 21%, 24%, 25%, or 28.5% ABV, depending on the country where it is sold), obtained from the infusion of herbs and fruit (including chinotto and cascarilla) in alcohol and ...

, in the same way that a Cynar Spritz replaces Aperol. Because of its artichoke component, Cynar is regarded as a digestif as well as an apéritif. In Brazil, where it is also produced, it is a very common beverage. It is usually consumed with

Cachaça ''Cachaça'' () is a distilled spirit made from fermented sugarcane juice. Also known as ''pinga'', ''caninha'', and other names, it is the most popular spirit among distilled alcoholic beverages in Brazil.Cavalcante, Messias Soares. Todos os no ...

and

sweet vermouth Vermouth (, ) is an aromatized fortified wine, flavoured with various botanicals (roots, barks, flowers, seeds, herbs, and spices) and sometimes colored. The modern versions of the beverage were first produced in the mid- to late 18th cent ...

in one of the more traditional drinks of Brazil named rabo de galo, a rough translation of the word cocktail. In

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

, where it is also produced locally, it is very common to be mixed with

grapefruit The grapefruit (''Citrus'' × ''paradisi'') is a subtropical citrus tree known for its relatively large, sour to semi-sweet, somewhat bitter fruit. The interior flesh is segmented and varies in color from pale yellow to dark pink. Grapefruit is ...

soda, usually,

Paso de los Toros Paso de los Toros (''Bulls' Pass'') is a city of the Tacuarembó Department in Uruguay. History The Midland Uruguay Railway began operation in 1889 with a line that ran between Paso de los Toros and Salto. On 17 July 1903, the group of houses ...

or Schweppes. Since 1995 Cynar has been manufactured and distributed by the

Campari Group Davide Campari-Milano N.V., trading as Campari Group, is an Italian company active since 1860 in the branded beverage industry. It produces spirits, wines, and non-alcoholic apéritifs. From its signature product, Campari, its portfolio has been ...

Advertising

The apéritif became popular during the early 1960s after its appearance on the Italian television advertising show ''

Carosello ''Carosello'' () was an Italian television advertising show broadcast on RAI from 1957 to 1977. The series mainly showed short sketch comedy films using live action, various types of animation, and puppetry. It had an audience of about 20 milli ...

''. The series of commercials, first starring Ferruccio De Ceresa, and from 1966

Ernesto Calindri Ernesto Calindri (5 February 1909 – 9 June 1999) was an Italian theater and film actor. He appeared in 40 films between 1938 and 1989. Selected filmography * '' Golden Arrow'' (1935) * ''It Always Ends That Way'' (1939) * ''The Children A ...

, showed the actor sipping Cynar while sitting at a table placed in the middle of a busy street, urging consumers to drink Cynar "against the strain of modern life". Toward the end of the 1970s, the commercial changed settings and moved from the busy city to a field of artichokes. The partnership between Calindri and the brand lasted until 1984.

References

External links

* {{commons category-inline Bitters Campari Group Italian brands Italian liqueurs Products introduced in 1952