Don Ciccio Amaro delle Sirene Liqueur 750ml

Don Ciccio & Figli is a Washington, D.C. distillery founded in 2012 by Francesco Amodeo, whose family had produced liqueurs on Italy's Amalfi Coast since 1883. Amaro delle Sirene revives a recipe last made in 1931 by Monpigar, one of the era's leading Atrani distilleries, before war and later a devastating earthquake closed the family's original operation. Amodeo rebuilt the recipe in D.C. using surviving notes and samples passed down through his grandfather and great-grandfather.

The amaro is built from an infusion of thirty selected roots and herbs, with eucalyptus, licorice, and ripe fruit at its core, rounded out by gentian, chicory, and chamomile. After maceration, the liqueur is matured for twelve months in used 250-liter French oak barrels sourced from the Marisa Cuomo winery, also on the Amalfi Coast, a step that lends it added depth and a darker color than an unaged bitter would carry. It is bottled at 29% ABV.

The color runs deep reddish brown, almost tobacco-toned. On the nose, chamomile and licorice mingle with dried green herbs and a hint of vine fruit. The palate opens with a chewy, molasses-like sweetness that quickly turns herbal and bitter, cooled by a distinct eucalyptus note, before finishing medium to long with dark, spiced warmth. It works equally well sipped neat or built into a whiskey-based cocktail.