RumChata has proven to be a more diverse liqueur than I initially guessed it would be when I first tried it. Sure, it does great with the flavors of coffee, cinnamon, chocolate and rum, but every time I’ve tried to push it into unfamiliar territory, it has held up extremely well.

I approached this cocktail from a Italian perspective, using Italian brandy and an amaro together with RumChata, and as fall approaches, I created another great seasonal RumChata drink: the Italiana RumChata. This can be served up in a cocktail coupe or on the rocks (pictured). Here’s how to make it:

Italiana RumChata (by Greg Mays)

• In a shaker, add:
• 1 oz RumChata
• 1 oz amaro (I used Amaro Montenegro)
• 1 1/2 oz brandy (I used Vecchia Romagna)
• 2 dashes bitters
• shake with ice and strain into a old fashioned glass filled with ice
• garnish with red grapes

Special thanks to our sponsor RumChata.