Handshake Amaro

A real mover and shaker in the Portland food and drink scene, it’s Handshake Amaro! Founded by Shahin Khojastehzad in Portland, Maine in 2023, Handshake aims to blend together the wide variety of cultures and flavors that he grew up around, right here in Maine. What’s amaro? Why not pick up a bottle at your local Maine liquor retailers today and see for yourself?

In all seriousness, amaro is an Italian herbal liquor, often consumed after meals as a digestive drink. It’s typically made by infusing spirits with a wide variety of herbs, spices, barks, peels, and all sorts of other kinds of flavorings. That blending of a huge variety of flavors is the direct motivation behind Shahin’s decision to make amaro: to celebrate the richness of his own heritage in combination with the many cultures he grew up around in Portland. A proud Iranian-American, Alireza has worked hard to leverage his career in the craft beer industry to create a product that is a delicious blend of all the flavors and cultures he’s come to experience.

Like us, Handshake really prioritizes sourcing as much of its ingredients from Maine as it can, and they’re 98% organic too! Just one bottle is all about cultivating the diverse local community with a high-quality product. We highly recommend you follow Handshake on Instagram and Facebook to keep up with all the new places you can find them!