Sunrise Cairns Amaro
Refreshingly Simple
Sunrise Cairns Amaro is a bitterly refreshing amaro, its character born from botanicals foraged by a unique collective: Tourists Hotel, Oz Wine Co., Matchbook Distilling, and an assembly of inspired beverage professionals from the Berkshires and the Valley.
750 mL
24% alc. by vol.
Into The Bottle
People respond in specific ways when they encounter a special place. Some document it through photos or paintings, while others hike its trails or set up camp. At Matchbook, we strive to capture it in a bottle—immortalizing a day, a season, a year. We freeze those ephemeral, volatile, and fleeting aromatics and flavors in the form of an alcoholic beverage.
We set out the third week in September for the trip up to the Tourists property. Surrounded by dense forest, sprawling meadows and a rushing river, our senses were primed for foraging.
Led by Tracy - Tourists' lead forager, whose spirit is as entwined with the natural world as the winding trails she walks - we hauled buckets of neutral spirit, ready to bathe our foraged collections.
Wild grapes and grape leaves, mugwort, nettle, white pine, spruce, silverberry, sumac, purple thyme—each botanical carefully collected, just enough for our purpose, ensuring we never take more than nature can replenish.
Each botanical was treated individually, macerating over time in its own bucket, allowing for the slow extraction of flavor. We sweetened the blend with mugwort sugar and added bitterness with quassia.
Cairns Amaro is a snapshot of a moment in a place, crafted by a group of people united on one perfect day to create this unique bottle. Expect fresh herbaceous notes, bright sumac acidity, and the distinctive, earthy bitterness of mugwort, all rounded out by a clean, satisfying finish.
Bottle label crafted by the wonderfully talented Zoë Doucette!
After trying it in a variety of drinks, we found that its true potential shines in simplicity—our favorite serve? Amaro + Soda. Refreshingly simple.
Suggested Serve
The Wild Fizz
2 oz Sunrise Cairns Amaro
Top with Soda Water
In an empty glass, pour measured amaro into glass. Add ice. Top with soda water and garnish with lemon wedge