Sierra Clark, cofounder and CEO of Brucato Spirits, lives in San Francisco, but the inspiration behind their original core amaros are all found in Sonoma County.
Her signature amaros (bittersweet, herbal liqueurs traditionally served neat as a digestif or in cocktails) are named for what inspired them: “Orchards” refers to apple and apricot orchards they frequently visit; “Woodlands” elicits memories of driving through Redwood forests north of Healdsburg; and “Chaparral” was created from the beloved Salt Point State Park.
And most of their amaros start from a brandy sourced from Wine Secrets in Sebastopol, before being infused with dozens of fruits and botanicals to create the distinctly Californian brand.
Amber Turpin: How did you get into this work?
Sierra Clark: My background toes the line between academics and a passion for food products and specialty terroir. After culinary school and jobs in international relations and journalism, I received a Ph.D. in food studies with a focus on flavor and quality for spirits. Ultimately, I landed on actually creating a unique product, where we have oversight of all levels of procurement, distillation and distribution.
You’ll find me and my husband, James, driving up and down the coast to buy ingredients, hand peeling citrus or fixing the bottling line, and, of course, sampling different iterations of our products with beakers and pipettes…
Did you ever have an ‘aha’ moment with a certain beverage? If so, tell us about it.
While I love all our amaros equally, the Chaparral was an ‘aha’ moment because three things came together: local history, a distinctly Californian flavor and alignment with existing alpine amaros. I stumbled across an old recipe for a medicinal elixir of native yerba santa in The Western Druggist journal from San Francisco in 1892. The plant had long been used in medical practices by native populations and, later, Spanish settlers.
Today, FDA regulation curtails distillers and food producers, including those from Indigenous tribes, from using native herbs … but yerba santa is one of the few plants permitted. The final part of the ‘aha’ trifecta came when we realized how well this amaro serves as a domestic substitution for the popular European alpine amaros, including Chartreuse.
What is your favorite thing to drink at home?
After a long day, I like to unwind with a straight pour of our Woodlands Reserve Amaro. It’s a quintessential sipper amaro and reminds me of why we went into this business… This moment is also time for me to transition into my evening, spending time with the kids and unwinding.
Where do you like to go out for a drink?
In Sonoma County, I love the Matheson Bar. It’s really pretty, with a bustling atmosphere and great drinks. Their rooftop makes me feel like I’m on vacation, despite being not too far away from home.
If you were stuck on a desert island, what would you want to be drinking (besides fresh water)?
I’d drink a Spicy Margarita using our Oro y Fierro kumquat and chili liqueur—if we’re on an island, it feels appropriate.
Brucato Spirits,275 South Van Ness, San Francisco, brucatospirits.com.
![{Donald Trump 's] crude speeches are exactly what angry sectors of the U.S. loved, and they elected him—twice," writes Tom H. Hastings](https://bohemian.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/14/2025/03/Open-Mic-3-100x70.jpg "Trumpster Fire: Don’t Fan the Flames")
