Canadian non alcoholic amaro brings ancient family recipe to life

Amaro is a term that most Canadians won’t be familiar with but anyone who’s following the global cocktail culture knows that Italian bitters, otherwise known as amari, are coming in hot on every cocktail menu. Many will know the eponymous Aperol Spritz that has been all the rage over the past few years, but amari have been around for centuries. The new Canadian non alcoholic amaro KickAss89 is one such example of a recipe that has truly lived on through several generations and is being brought to life by Toronto chef Luke Hayes and his mother Carrie. 

“The recipe for KickAss89 was written down in this tattered old notebook, passed down from generation to generation, so we thought why not try to make it. It’s interesting and unique, and crowd-pleasing as well for as many palettes as possible.” 

After spending almost a decade as a chef and supper club host, the younger Hayes jumped into a year of trial and error to get their ancient family recipe just right. The Hayes’ launched KickAss89 this past fall and have already got major fans in the restaurant industry who are amazed at the complexity and quality. 

“The founder of Bailey’s tried it, and really loved it, for instance. And at a restaurant in Woodbridge, the sommelier was really dubious about trying a non-alcoholic amaro, but then he tried it and wanted to get it on the menu.”

Amari are usually made by macerating herbs in unflavoured alcohol or wine, and allowed to age in casks or barrels. From a non alcoholic product perspective, this flavourful amaro style of liqueur is perhaps the best suited for a zero proof product. As Hayes explains, that’s the appeal for him. 

“It’s more about the flavour, historically, than the buzz. There are so many amazing amaris out there, like Chartreuse or Jaggermeister, that have an incredible history but also a great flavour. I’d be happy to have any of those without the alcohol.”

Kickass89 has a sophisticated aroma and flavour that doesn’t have one specific dominant flavour. It’s not as bitter as a Campari or Frenet, but also not overpoweringly sweet. It has subtle notes of anise and ginger which work well in the pure simplicity of mixing it with soda water and lemon.

Hayes, who has spent the last eight years cooking and running super clubs in Toronto, was inspired by the complexity of making an 89 ingredient amaro. 

“That was fun for me, the science behind it. Loving flavours and being a chef, I love recipes and cooking and how to recreate a particular flavour.” 

During the development of KickAss89, Hayes said that it was sometimes only a few kernels of something or ⅛ of a gram of something else that could make a huge difference to the formulation. 

“There are 50 different types of wormwood, for instance, that we had to play around with. But it ended up being a hard pass - just too bitter,” he laughed.  

The Hayes are confident that although this is a niche product, bartenders will get behind it because they often gravitate towards interesting flavours and experiences. The North American consciousness about excess sugar will be helpful for low-sugar and low-carb products like KickAss89 as consumers seek better options. 

“The cocktail world is overwhelmingly sweet, it’s a bit of a crutch, but we don’t have to rely on it. So something like this, I think people will latch on to it.”

Chef Luke himself is neither a drinker or a non-drinker but somewhere in between. 

“I like the flavour of things, a lot more than the alcohol, so if I can have something that tastes like KickAss89 or any of the fantastic non alcoholic beverages that are out there, I’m drinking it for the flavour not the booze.”

The timing for them to hit the market couldn’t be better as almost 20% of North Americans are identifying as non drinkers, and the ‘sober curious’ movement grows exponentially. 

“People love the flavour, but they love how it makes them feel and that’s what it all comes down to.” 

If you want to try KickAss89 in your next zero proof or low alc cocktail, you can find it online at kickass89.com. 

Some Good Clean Fun recipe recommendation: 

1.5 oz KickAss89

3-4 oz club soda

A squeeze of lemon juice