New Orleans-Made Traiteur Amaro Named World’s Best

Andrea and Erik Morningstar, Mamou Spirits

NEW ORLEANS (press release) – Traiteur Amaro, a small-batch amaro handcrafted in New Orleans’ Upper Ninth Ward, was named Best of Class Herbal & Botanical Liqueur at the 2026 San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC), one of the world’s most prestigious international spirits competitions.

Traiteur Amaro, the debut spirit from husband-and-wife team Andrea and Erik Morningstar of Mamou Spirits Company, took the top honor at the competition’s annual Top Shelf Awards Gala in San Francisco on Nov. 8, prevailing over five other international finalists in the final round of blind judging.

“We set out to make an amaro that tasted unmistakably like Louisiana, something rooted in the plants, histories and traditions of this place,” said co-founder Andrea Morningstar. “What makes these awards particularly meaningful is that the judging is blind. The judges didn’t know our story, our label or who we were. They just tasted what was in the glass. For the two of us making this stuff by hand in a warehouse under a bridge in the Upper Ninth Ward, that’s pretty wonderful.”

The SFWSC Recognition and More

The win places Traiteur Amaro alongside some of the world’s most celebrated herbal liqueurs. Previous recipients of the same distinction include Italian brands Strega (2024) and Amaro Montenegro (2018).

The San Francisco World Spirits Competition evaluated more than 5,000 spirits from over 70 countries in 2026. Traiteur Amaro had already earned a Double Gold medal and an extraordinary score of 99 out of 100, placing it among the competition’s highest-rated spirits before advancing to the Best of Class finals.

The latest recognition follows another major victory earlier this year at the American Distilling Institute (ADI) 2026 International Spirits Competition, where Traiteur Amaro earned Double Gold, Best of Class and Best of Category.

For Mamou Spirits, which released its first bottles of Traiteur Amaro in late November 2025, the international recognition marks an extraordinary debut year.

Crafting Traiteur Amaro

Traiteur (pronounced tray-TUR) takes its name from the Cajun French term for a traditional South Louisiana folk healer. The Italian-style amaro draws inspiration from the region’s layered cultural history, its native and naturalized botanicals and the traditions of herbal knowledge that have endured across generations.

Developed through research at the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum, visits to Vermilionville’s traiteur garden, conversations with practitioners and months of experimentation, Traiteur Amaro brings a distinctly Louisiana character to the centuries-old Italian tradition of bitter herbal liqueurs. 

Sassafras, chicory, prickly ash and other botanicals contribute to a, bittersweet spirit with warm spiced-tea notes, earthy depth, a bright lift of mint and a lingering gentian finish.

Organizers share that the international awards come as Traiteur Amaro continues to gain a following among Louisiana’s bartenders, chefs, retailers and spirits enthusiasts. From celebrated cocktail bars and fine dining restaurants to neighborhood watering holes, the amaro is finding a place in the region’s lively hospitality culture.

Traiteur Amaro is available at select retailers, restaurants and bars throughout Louisiana, as well as online through Mamou Spirits’ website.

Mamou Spirits is an independent, family-owned botanical spirits company based in New Orleans, founded by Andrea and Erik Morningstar. Inspired by the plants, histories and folk traditions of the Gulf South, the company creates original spirits that express the region’s distinctive cultural character. Its flagship product, Traiteur Amaro, is an Italian-style herbal liqueur handcrafted in New Orleans.

Also explore Baton Rouge-based Oxbow Rum.