Old-World Inspiration

Where tradition and adventure meet

We embrace the Italian tradition of amaro-making, paying homage to the birthplace of this time-honored spirit. Italy, with its centuries-old recipes and dedication to craft, has long set the gold standard for amaros. But California offers its own bounty of exceptional ingredients, from sun-ripened citrus to wild foraged herbs, and it's these local treasures that give Brucato Amaros their distinctive character.

At Brucato, we believe in the beauty of bringing these Californian ingredients to bottle, creating amaros that are not only a reflection of place but also a celebration of the state's natural diversity. Each sip is a journey through California’s landscapes, a taste of the spirit that drives us to explore, innovate, and honor the land we call home. In every bottle of Brucato amaro, we strive to capture the essence of California, a place where nature’s bounty and inspiring terrain come together in perfect harmony.

Our Mission

California is home to dramatic landscapes. With every expression, we transport you to new places.

Nullam quis risus eget urna mollis ornare vel eu leo. Nullam id dolor id nibh ultricies vehicula ut id elit. Integer posuere erat a ante venenatis dapibus posuere velit aliquet. Sed posuere consectetur est at lobortis.ven provide a review.

Our Ingredients

For any occasion

Drinking and eating are a part of a sense of place, made all the stronger if shared with friends and family. Brucato is made for those nights, gathered around the table with those closest to you. 

James & Sierra Clark

Meet the founders

Brucato was founded by Sierra and James Clark. Sierra comes to the endeavor with a background in food and drink writing and academia — she holds a PhD in Food Studies, focusing her studies on spirits. They have built the recipes carefully, starting with 200 individual infusions of fruits, herbs, and spices, sourced from small farms or foraged where possible. They are deeply involved in all steps of the process, down to hand-peeling citrus and applying neck labels by hand. 

In addition to their love of drinks, Sierra and James have a history in social policy, which they bring to Brucato in the form of a dedication to using the brand to support their community. Brucato engages in efforts to give back to the farmers, the restaurants and bars, and the land without which it could not exist.

Black and white image of John Brucato and farmers' market workers

The founder of SF's Farmers Markets

Who was John Brucato?

Our amaros bear the name of John G. Brucato, founder of the San Francisco Farmer’s Market in 1943. In addition to his work connecting local farms with city-dwellers in need of fresh food, John Brucato also ran a winery in the heart of San Francisco, making him our spiritual forebear. His favorite expression still guides us today: Sempre Avanti!

Black and white portrait of John Brucato
Column

Brucato had organized the 1943 San Francisco farmers market not out of nostalgia but out of wartime necessity, and its survival beyond that first harvest was far from guaranteed. The city’s wholesale produce merchants and grocers vociferously opposed his effort, and some of them warned farmers against attending the first market. Now they leveled accusations of unfair competition and accused the market vendors of being “peddlers,” middlemen selling inferior product. The merchants lobbied the city for more thorough inspections and stricter regulations, while Brucato tried to convince the same Board of Supervisors to take on responsibility for running the market. Almost a year later, it did, with some reluctance and a limited time frame: The farmers market was to be a temporary remedy to a food supply warped by war; it would be abolished six months after the war’s end.

Column

Pair text with an image to focus on your timeline event.

Column

Pair text with an image to focus on your timeline event.

Column

Pair text with an image to focus on your timeline event.

  • Label
  • August 1943
  • Label
  • Label