Cynar

Edgier than a classic Pimm’s Cup, this cocktail works well across many seasons.

Bartender Kyle Davidson created this bitter and fresh Cynar cocktail in 2008 at The Violet Hour.

Bold cranberry mingles with bittersweet Cynar in this bitter and bubbly variation on the spritz cocktail.

The Trident cocktail is a riff on a negroni that uses Spain’s sherry, Italy’s Cynar, and Scandinavia’s aquavit.

This cocktail is a refreshing, slightly bitter spin on the Pimm’s Cup, thanks to the addition of Cynar, a vegetal Italian liqueur.

This sherry-Cynar Negroni riff was created by bartender Dan Greenbaum at The Beagle in New York City.

This Manhattan variation from Audrey Saunders of Pegu Club in NYC starts with rye and vermouth, then adds Cynar amaro to appealing effect. 

Cynar, the artichoke-derived Italian liqueur, is popular in the Swiss border region of Ticino, where Italian is spoken; here, shot through with vermouth and soda, it maintains that bitter-followed-by-sweet sensation you get when eating an artichoke (plus a little fizz). And, like the vegetable itself, it goes well with cheese — which is to say it goes very well with the Appenzeller crisps below.