Cynar Cocktails

21 drinks · Updated October 2026

Cynar is an Italian bittersweet liqueur made with artichoke leaves among its botanicals, first produced in Italy in 1952 and named after the artichoke's botanical genus, Cynara. Despite the artichoke on its label, its flavor is herbal and bittersweet rather than vegetal. It contributes sugar and bitterness, which makes it useful alongside whiskey, vermouth and citrus. The Little Italy combines rye whiskey, sweet vermouth and Cynar. The Bitter Giuseppe makes Cynar the main ingredient alongside sweet vermouth, lemon juice and orange bitters.

• Rabo de Galo

  Classic (Brazil, 1950s)

  2 oz Cachaça 0.75 oz Sweet vermouth 0.5 oz Cynar 2 drops Angostura bitters (optional)

• Kentucky Mai Tai

  Dan Sabo, Pali Society, Los Angeles

  1 oz Bourbon 1 oz Mezcal 0.5 oz Cynar 0.5 oz Peach liqueur 0.5 oz Lemon juice 0.5 oz Orgeat

• Smooth as Butter

  Daniel Villa, Charlotte (2023)

  3 oz Smooth as Butter batch 8 oz rehydrated toasted milk 9 oz reposado tequila 6 oz amontillado sherry 3 oz Pedro Ximénez sherry 2 oz mezcal 1.5 oz Bénédictine 1.5 oz Cynar 0.5 tsp cardamom bitters

• Hateful 8

  Benjamin Purvis and Collin Nicholas, Fools & Horses, Portland, Oregon (2023)

  0.25 oz Amaro Montenegro 0.25 oz Cynar 0.25 oz Aperol 0.25 oz Campari 0.25 oz Amaro dell'Etna 0.25 oz Ramazzotti 0.25 oz Amaro Meletti 0.25 oz Amaro Sibilla

• Heart of Glass

  Troy Sidle, New York (2023)

  1.5 oz Bourbon (plus more to rinse) 0.75 oz Sweet vermouth 0.75 oz Cynar 17 drops Angostura bitters 0.5 oz Water, to taste

• Guillotine

  Yanni Kehagiaras, Stoa, San Francisco (2024)

  1.5 oz Mezcal 1 oz Cynar 0.5 oz Dry vermouth

• Yesterday, Today and Amaro

  Brian Kane, Abe Fisher, Philadelphia (2015)

  2 oz Rye whiskey (101 proof) 0.5 oz Cynar 0.25 oz Averna 0.25 oz Bénédictine

• Search for Delicious

  Kirk Estopinal, New Orleans (2025)

  2 oz Cynar 0.75 oz Punt e Mes 18 drops Lemon juice 6 dashes Orange bitters 1 pinch Sea salt 5 Lemon twists

• Daniella

  Poison Heart, Philadelphia (2025)

  1 oz Amaro Montenegro 1 oz Cynar 4 to 6 oz Dr Pepper, to top

• Cynanagans Highball

  Kitty Bernardo, New York (2025)

  0.5 oz Banana schnapps 0.5 oz Cynar 1 dash Angostura bitters 4 oz Seltzer

• By the Slice

  Siddalee Lewis, Occidental, Denver (2026)

  1.5 oz Sundried tomato rye 0.5 oz Pepperoni-spiced Cocchi Americano 0.5 oz Cynar

• Nine Dragons

  Kingfisher, San Diego (2024)

  1 oz Gin 0.75 oz Black sugar vanilla syrup 0.75 oz Lemon juice 0.5 oz Blood orange aperitivo 0.5 oz Cynar

• Yuzu Sour

  Darryl Chan, Bludorn, Houston (2022)

  1.5 oz Japanese whisky 0.75 oz Cynar 0.75 oz Yuzu juice 0.5 oz Star anise syrup 3 drops Root beer bitters (optional)

• Bayonet

  Jake Powell, Death & Co, Denver (2021)

  0.75 oz Cognac 0.5 oz Calvados 0.5 oz Apricot eau-de-vie 0.5 oz Cynar 0.75 oz Sweet vermouth

• Trident

  Robert Hess (2002)

  1 oz Manzanilla sherry 1 oz Cynar 1 oz Aquavit 2 dashes Peach bitters

• Too Soon

  Sam Ross, Attaboy, New York (printed in Regarding Cocktails, 2016)

  2 Orange slices 1 oz Gin 1 oz Cynar 0.75 oz Lemon juice 2 tsp Rich simple syrup

• Bensonhurst

  Chad Solomon, Pegu Club, New York

  2 oz Rye whiskey 1 oz Dry vermouth 2 tsp Maraschino liqueur 1 tsp Cynar

• Art of Choke

  Kyle Davidson, The Violet Hour, Chicago (2008)

  8 Mint leaves 1 oz White rum 1 oz Cynar 0.25 oz Green Chartreuse 0.25 oz Demerara syrup 1 tsp Lime juice 2 dashes Angostura bitters

• Bitter Giuseppe

  Stephen Cole, The Violet Hour, Chicago (2007)

  1 swath Lemon peel 2 oz Cynar 1 oz Sweet vermouth 0.25 oz Lemon juice 3 dashes Orange bitters

• Autumn Negroni

  Toby Maloney, The Violet Hour, Chicago (2012)

  2 oz Gin 0.75 oz Sweet vermouth 0.5 oz Cynar 0.5 oz Campari 0.25 oz Fernet-Branca 1 dash Orange bitters 1 dash Peychaud's bitters

• Little Italy

  Audrey Saunders, Pegu Club, New York (2005)

  2 oz Rye whiskey 0.75 oz Sweet vermouth 0.5 oz Cynar