Alexis Amaro Cocktail by Don Ciccio & Figli

We read an article on Friday night about a recent NPR show about AMARO a favorite aperitif of ours from several years of work trips to Italy and sampling all the Amaro's from different regions. A recent NPR show was about a slightly more grown-up amaro experience. They took All Things Considered host Ari Shapiro on a tasting tour at Don Ciccio & Figli. It's an unassuming establishment located in a Washington, D.C., warehouse with mermaid silhouettes painted on the walls. The air smells like cinnamon, eucalyptus and lemon peel, and the space is cluttered with wooden barrels and rows of glass bottles full of the rich auburn liquid made by proprietor Francesco Amodeo. They are open for tasting and tours every Saturday afternoon so off we went we were fortunate to have Mr. Amodeo as our tour and taste guide....Needless to say we went home with several bottles of their products!

"Our traditions started back in 1883," he says.

But the Amodeo family was forced to shut down its operation in 1980, when an earthquake crushed the distillery that had been a going concern for a century. Thirty years later, Francesco reopened the family business in Washington. We sampled it all and were intrigued by a recipe from the NPR article.

For these chillier autumn days, Amodeo has a great recipe.

"It's called the Alexis. It's one ounce each of bourbon, Amaro delle Sirene and then Nocino, which is our walnut liqueur."

Mix those three on ice, he says, then either strain it and serve straight up or put it in a highball and serve on the rocks. Either way it goes nicely with an orange twist.

As for the appropriate toast for trying out an amaro cocktail?

"I say, 'Stay bitter,' " Parsons laughs.