Don Ciccio Figli Concerto-Artisanal Barley/Espresso Liqueur 750ml

Don Ciccio & Figli is the Washington, D.C. distillery founded in 2012 by Francesco Amodeo, who set out to revive the liqueur-making tradition his family had practiced on Italy's Amalfi Coast since the late 1800s. Rather than reproducing a single family heirloom recipe, the distillery also draws on old-world liqueur styles with murkier origins, giving each release its own historical thread even as all of them are produced with the same hands-on, small-batch approach in D.C.

Concerto belongs to that second category. Its true origin is uncertain, though the recipe is popularly traced to a mountain monastery and a group of resourceful monks. Production begins with barley and espresso coffee, which are oven roasted together with acacia wood for up to 28 minutes to develop a toasted, smoky base flavor. That roasted mixture is then blended with fifteen additional botanicals before the liqueur is lightly sweetened and bottled. Reported strength for Concerto runs at 12% ABV, notably lower than most of Don Ciccio's bitter offerings, which keeps the coffee and grain flavors front and center rather than being cut by higher proof.

The result is a liqueur with a gentle sweetness underscored by licorice and roasted barley. Dark chocolate and vanilla round out the profile, giving it a dessert-like character reminiscent of a coffee digestif. It works well served chilled on its own, poured over ice cream for an affogato, or shaken into an espresso martini.