Brucato Woodlands is a California amaro — a bittersweet, herb-infused digestif — and it is poured at Grappa in Seattle’s Queen Anne neighborhood. Made by Brucato Spirits in the San Francisco Bay Area, it is one of three terroir-driven expressions, this one dedicated to the live oak woodlands that line the California coast. We list it because it brings a deep, dark-fruited richness to the Italian amaro tradition Grappa loves, the most brooding of the family.
About the Producer
Brucato Spirits was founded by Sierra and James Clark, who were both raised in California and set out to make amari that taste of home. Rather than work from an Italian template, they begin with California brandy and infuse it with the produce, herbs and botanicals of the state, dedicating each release to a different landscape. Chaparral, Orchards and Woodlands form the core lineup, and the house has since grown into a Bay Area bar and distillery as well.
Style & Production
Woodlands starts from a base of California brandy and is infused to capture the fog-laced live oak forests of the coast, where the canopy shelters huckleberry, hawthorn and blossoming elderberry. Its dominant flavors come from elderberry, cocoa nibs, black fig and citrus. The result is the darkest and deepest of Brucato’s amari: still bittersweet, but with a chocolatey, dark-fruit weight that sets it apart from the brighter Chaparral and the fruit-forward Orchards.
Tasting Notes
The nose offers dark elderberry, cocoa and dried fig, with a lift of citrus. The palate is rich and layered — black fig and berry, bittersweet cocoa and a gentle herbal bitterness underneath — leading to a long, warming finish with a whisper of chocolate. It is the kind of glass made for the close of a candlelit evening.
What to Pair It With
As a digestif, Woodlands loves dessert. Its cocoa and dark fruit are made for Flourless Chocolate Cake, lovely beside our Charcuterie Board, and a fitting finish after Mama’s Tiramisu. See the full dine-in menu for more.
How It’s Served at Grappa
Brucato Woodlands is poured at $12, served neat or over a single large cube as an after-dinner digestif.
FAQ
Where is it from?
It is made by Brucato Spirits in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, using California brandy and locally inspired ingredients.
What does it taste like?
It is rich and dark: elderberry, cocoa and black fig with a lift of citrus, a layered bittersweet palate and a long, gently chocolatey finish.
What makes it distinctive?
Woodlands is built around elderberry, cocoa nibs and black fig, the darkest of Brucato’s terroir expressions, designed to capture California’s coastal live oak woodlands.
When you’re ready, book a table, explore the cocktail & spirits list, and browse the dine-in menu.
