Ranked by flavor math

The best bitter cocktails,
for people who mean it.

Bitterness is the acquired taste that becomes a personality. Ranked purely on the bitterness axis of our flavor data, these are the cellar's most committed pours — Campari country and beyond.

01

Negroni

Equal parts gin, Campari, and sweet vermouth — bitterness as a personality trait.

Bitterness 9/10 — no training wheels.

02

Amaro

Italy's bittersweet herbal liqueurs — dinner's official closing argument.

Bitterness 9/10 — no training wheels.

03

Boulevardier

A Negroni that traded gin for bourbon and put on a winter coat.

Bitterness 8/10 — no training wheels.

04

Rosita

Reposado tequila meets the Negroni formula — agave with an Italian passport.

Bitterness 8/10 — no training wheels.

05

Hanky Panky

Gin, sweet vermouth, Fernet — invented by the first famous female bartender, still undefeated.

Bitterness 7/10 — no training wheels.

06

Americano

Campari, sweet vermouth, soda — the Negroni's lighter, longer ancestor.

Bitterness 8/10 — no training wheels.

07

Paper Plane

Bourbon, Aperol, Amaro Nonino, lemon — equal parts, modern legend.

Bitterness 7/10 — no training wheels.

08

Naked and Famous

Mezcal, yellow Chartreuse, Aperol, lime — smoky, herbal, impossible to forget.

Bitterness 7/10 — no training wheels.

09

Islay Single Malt

Peat smoke, sea spray, iodine — Scotland's most argumentative whisky.

Bitterness 6/10 — no training wheels.

10

Sazerac

Rye, Peychaud's, and an absinthe rinse — New Orleans in a chilled rocks glass.

Bitterness 6/10 — no training wheels.

Or let the math pick for you.

Seven questions, scored against all 141 drinks.

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More rankings

Best Summer Cocktails Best Winter Cocktails Best Low-ABV Drinks Best Zero-Proof Cocktails & Drinks Best Sweet Cocktails Best Strong Cocktails

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