Today we begin a new series of wine, beer and spirits recommendations, in no small part because my review shelf is starting to bow under the weight of multiple bottles, and I know you could always use some good drinking advice. This week’s products all come from a small-batch liqueur company out of Washington, D.C., called Don Ciccio & Figli.
In 1883, an Italian man named Vincenzo Amodeo began crafting spirits in his small house in Atrani, one of the main towns in the popular and picturesque Amalfi Coast of southwestern Italy. He operated his company for more than four decades until World War II forced him to close. In 1951, his son Francesco “Don Ciccio” Amodeo restarted the distillery with his brother-in-law, and they ran it until a major earthquake in 1980 destroyed the distillery and the groves of lemon trees that were integral to the production of the primary liqueur product of Amalfi, limoncello.
Fast-forward to 2012, when another generation of Francescos started up a new venture out of Washington, D.C., named after his family’s previous venture. The younger Francesco Amadeo sought to re-create some of his family’s recipes in the New World, employing natural ingredients instead of extracts and added sugar, creating more balanced versions of traditional aperitivos, cordials and amari with lower alcohol levels than most new commercial products.
Today their range of products represents more than a dozen recipes which they retrieved from the memory of Don Ciccio before he passed away, ranging from fruit-based liqueurs to bold amari, many of which you’ll find on the cocktail menus of some of your favorite local cocktail bars. While they are excellent as ingredients, acting as a palette of flavors to complement other spirits, many of them are also excellent to drink on their own, chilled in a refrigerator instead of a freezer like many of us probably store our limoncello. Here are some highlights to look for in your favorite liquor store or bar.
Don Ciccio & Figli’s version of limoncello uses a recipe that dates back to 1947, and utilizes six pieces of fruit for every bottle produced. Starting with a base of grain alcohol made from Vermont corn and barley, the spirit is infused with the fruit in small batches in tanks for weeks to capture the flavor of lemon rather than the sweetness of syrup. Think of this as closer to lemonade than the Mountain Dew character of some cloying commercial favorites. At 50 proof, it's also less boozy and better balanced than other brands, making for a very smooth sipper.
More complex is the Nocino, an even older recipe that stipulates that the walnuts used should be picked on the day of the Feast of San Giovanni. In accordance with tradition, Don Ciccio uses green walnut husks that are picked in early June and steeps them to create a rich, bittersweet liqueur with nutty essences plus vanilla, cinnamon, brown spices and ripe berries. Try it as substitute for vermouth for an exotic Manhattan.
Don Ciccio’s flagship product is probably the Amaro Delle Sirene, named after the legendary sirens who tempted Ulysses as he sailed by the Amalfi Coast. The most bitter of their amari, it took 18 batches for Amodeo to reverse-engineer this product from the original Italian recipe until they figured out how to add sweetness to the product through barrel-aging instead of dumping sugar in the vat. The infusion uses 30 roots and herbs (take that, Col. Sanders!) to create a layered and nuanced flavor. You’ll detect hints of eucalyptus, anise, chicory and chamomile.
To finish off a meal or a tasting, I suggest the Concerto, a recipe that dates back to the 17th century when it was produced by local monks. Don Ciccio imports espresso beans and barley that have been oven-roasted with acacia root for a maximum of 28 minutes. They use those beans to infuse the base spirit, resulting in a lovely drink that exhibits flavors of licorice, barley, dark chocolate and vanilla. It's great as a base to a high-class espresso martini or just added to a glass of milk — the combination of sweet and bitter is really delightful. Try some and let me know what you think!
