Amaro Montenegro’s M+M Cocktail, a Worthy Winter Sip

Name: Amaro Montenegro's M+M Cocktail
Prep time: 1 min
Total time: 1 min
Ingredients: 2 oz. Amaro Montenegro; 2 oz. mezcal; 1 orange peel; 1 olive

Want to fight the winter chill? Here’s how to make Amaro Montenegro’s M+M Cocktail, combining an Italian spirit with Mexico’s famed spirit, mezcal.

By Morgan Hines

11:58 AM EST on January 30, 2024

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Montenegro bottle and cocktail — The M&M, a cocktail with Montenegro and mezcal.

As the winter chill holds for a few more months, we’re on the hunt for tasty sips that emit warmth.

And Amaro Montenegro’s M+M Cocktail, which was originally created in the 2010s in New York City, is a great option.

At the time of its conception, Amaro Montenegro was the “new darling” of the city’s cocktail scene — and it was quickly understood that the liqueur was made for more than just standalone sipping — especially when mixed in equal parts with other spirits, Tad Carducci, director of outreach and engagement for Gruppo Montenegro, tells Appetito Magazine.

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One of the spirits it pairs well with is mezcal, and thus, the Monte + Mezcal (M+M) Cocktail was created.

“As mezcal was at the beginning of its meteoric rise in popularity with bartenders, the M + M was the one that ‘hit different’,” Carducci says. “And a star was born.”

Carducci likens the M+M to a “broken-in, overstuffed armchair, sitting in front of a roaring fire.” The drink gives that feeling all in one glass, bringing together warm and “embracing” flavors such as cloves, cinnamon, orange peels, burnt sugar, and just a bit of smoke and earthiness.

Given the drink is made with just two main ingredients, it’s quite simple to make. And if you’re hosting, Carducci recommends preparing the drink in a pre-mixed batch — also an option for gifting (perhaps something to think about for next holiday season or for any upcoming birthdays).

The drink stays good in and out of the fridge for “weeks,” per Carducci.