The News
Brooklyn-based Faccia Brutto Spirits has launched its first restaurant collaboration with Peter Luger Steak House, creating a new amaro called Lugermeister. The spirit is inspired by German Kräuterlikör and features botanicals like licorice root, juniper berry, and poppy seed. It was developed over nearly a year with the Peter Luger team and launched in March 2026.
The Takeaway
Culinary Fusion Trend: Faccia Brutto’s Lugermeister shows how spirits brands are increasingly tapping into restaurant partnerships to create unique, limited-edition products that reflect the cultural roots of both parties. The collaboration between a Brooklyn-based amaro brand and a historic German-American steakhouse like Peter Luger is a clear example of how heritage and innovation can intersect in the spirits space.
Botanical Innovation: The drink uses a mix of traditional European botanicals—like licorice root, juniper, and poppy seed—to craft a digestif that bridges Italian amaro with German Kräuterlikör. This approach highlights a growing trend among small distillers to experiment with cross-cultural flavor profiles, offering drinkers something both familiar and new.
Label Design Strategy: The Lugermeister label combines Faccia Brutto’s Art Deco style with an illustration of Peter Luger’s iconic Williamsburg location, showing how branding is becoming a key tool for spirits companies to visually communicate their story. This visual strategy helps differentiate the product in a crowded market and appeals to consumers looking for authenticity and storytelling.
Original Press Release
NEW YORK, NY (March 2026) - Faccia Brutto Spirits, the cult-favorite Brooklyn-based amaro producer founded by former chef Patrick Miller, today announced the launch of Lugermeister—the team’s first restaurant collaboration—created in partnership with the iconic Peter Luger Steak House. While Faccia Brutto’s core lineup reinterprets traditional Italian amari through a contemporary American lens, Lugermeister draws inspiration from German-style Kräuterlikör (a traditional German herbal liqueur) to create a spirit aligned with Peter Luger’s German roots.
Like all Faccia Brutto offerings, Lugermeister begins with neutral grain spirit sourced from upstate New York. The base is macerated with botanicals including poppy seed, gentian, juniper berry, kola nut, licorice root, and sarsaparilla, resulting in a robust digestif layered with notes of licorice, cacao nib, candied grapefruit, juniper, cinnamon, and toasted poppy. After a two-week maceration, the spirit is sweetened and proofed down to 30% ABV, then bottled unaged. Led by Faccia Brutto Head of Production Avery Fary, the amaro came together after nearly a year of research and development, with more than a dozen iterations created alongside the Peter Luger team.
The label, designed by longtime collaborator Garrett Elizabeth Office, blends the identities of both brands—pairing Faccia Brutto’s Art Deco logo with an illustration of Peter Luger’s storied Williamsburg corner facade.
“When Peter Luger Steakhouse first approached us about creating a custom amaro, we jumped at the opportunity,” says Patrick Miller, founder of Faccia Brutto Spirits. “Our shared Brooklyn roots made it a natural first collaboration. We wanted to honor history and tradition while bringing a modern perspective to both the look and the flavor. Exploring German-style amari pushed us outside our usual wheelhouse and created a particularly exciting R&D process and end product for us.”
The bottle represents an ongoing line of house offerings for Peter Luger Steakhouse, but a first in the world of custom spirits. “We’ve been making a concerted effort to bring more things in-house through careful partnerships. While our Luger Cabernet still comes from the Napa Valley, we love working with and showcasing outstanding Brooklyn-based producers whenever possible. Our Luger Lager is brewed in Gowanus with Three’s Brewing, and when we wanted to create a truly bespoke spirit—something that could showcase our heritage in a unique way—Faccia Brutto was the clear choice,” says Daniel Turtel, VP of Peter Luger Steakhouse. “Lugermeister pairs beautifully with our classic desserts and schlag. It’s perfect by itself or in a cocktail—an elevated digestif that avoids being fussy.”
A versatile digestif, some of the team’s favorite Lugermeister offerings include a neat pour post-dinner, stirred into hot coffee topped with schlag, or as a bold twist in a Black Manhattan. Sips of Lugermeister are exclusively available on-premise at Peter Luger locations across New York (with Las Vegas to follow), and bottles (750 ml; MSRP: $45) are available online via Faccia Brutto Spirits or Astor Wine & Spirits for at-home purchase. For more information, visit Faccia Brutto’s site and follow @faccia_brutto_spirits and @peterlugersteakhouse on Instagram for ongoing updates and recipes.
Source: BevNET
