Amodeo family’s Don Ciccio & Figli distillery enjoyed nearly a century of liqueur production

Michael Hepworth

Washington DC (Spiritsman) 11/29/17/–Founded in 1883, the Amodeo family’s Don Ciccio & Figli distillery enjoyed nearly a century of liqueur production on the Amalfi Coast. Today, the Amodeo family tradition lives on in Washington, D.C., where founder and master distiller Francesco Amodeo produces his family’s liqueurs in small batches using traditional methods. Currently Don Ciccio & Figli offers 13 products including amari, aperitivi and cordials: Fans of a Americanos or Spritzes will enjoy CINQUE APERITIVO, a red-hued bitter based on an infusion of 12 selected roots and herbs featuring bitter orange and gentian lutea.

•LUNA AMARA is styled after the “Italian bitter of Turin” recipe, a dark, cherry-colored liqueur highlighting grapefruit, prickly pears, gentian lutea and chicory with notes of rhubarb and vanilla. With a strong backbone of bitter, LUNA AMARA is a delight in bitter, gin or brown-spirit based drinks like the BOULEVARDIER and Negronis.

•Launched Summer 2017 C3 is a bitter aperitivo based on an infusion of three types of California-grown artichokes, cardoons, grapefruit, and 18 selected botanicals aged in barrel for 12 months. While the amaro category has grown significantly in recent years, there is presently just one other artichoke-based liqueur available in the U.S., making this an exciting addition to an intriguing category.

•AMARO DELLE SIRENE, the flagship amaro, is redolent of eucalyptus, ripe fruit, and licorice with an aroma of chicory and chamomile.

•The EDIZIONE SPECIALE ages AMARO DELLE SIRENE in double casks for five years, revealing dark chocolate and roasted barley in this limited expression, producing just 25 cases per batch.

•AMARO DONNA ROSA is a “gateway amaro”, highlighting rhubarb, honeysuckle, rose petals and vanilla.

•AMARO TONICA FERRO-KINA is DON CICCIO & FIGLI’s take on Italian amaro Ferro-China and follows a recipe developed in 1967 in the Amalfi Coast distillery. Today, just two distilleries in the world produce this intriguing amaro which highlights bitter lemon, china calisaya, and gentian.

•AMARO DON FERNE’ is DON CICCIO’s own Fernet, highlighting fresh mint, dark chocolate, ginger and saffron.

•DON CICCIO’s Amalfi Coast operation was shuttered in 1980 after a massive earthquake hit the region destroying the distillery and the surrounding lemon trees. The LIMONCELLO is revived today in a traditional style, using fresh lemons.

•MANDARINETTO, the artisanal mandarin orange liqueur is produced in the same style as the LIMONCELLO, and has been dubbed the “true treasure of the Amalfi Coast.”

•FICO D’INDIA is made from wild Prickly Pears grown along the mountainsides of Southern Italy. It has a kiwi-like, crisp flavor and honeyed aroma perfect for mixing with mezcal, pisco, and prosecco.

•Green walnut husks are traditionally harvested on the day of San Giovanni, which begins the process for making NOCINO on June 24th. This bittersweet liqueur has aromas of green walnuts, brown spices, vanilla and ripe berries and boasts a long, rich finish.

•CONCERTO is believed to have been traditionally made by monks and is made of barley and espresso beans roasted with acacia wood and 15 other botanicals. Gently sweet with notes of black licorice, dark chocolate, and vanilla.

From the picturesque Amalfi Coast in Southern Italy to historic Washington D.C., an Italian family’s legacy steeped in rich tradition lives on through the launch of Don Ciccio & Figli. Francesco ‘Ciccio’ Amodeo, President and Master Distiller, began his journey in the hospitality industry as a young boy growing up in the quaint town of Furore, Italy along the Amalfi Coast where the majority of his family members served as some of the most celebrated and respected chefs, winemakers, and artisanal liqueur purveyors. Francesco’s career in the hospitality industry began in earnest at a resort in his hometown. Rising quickly through the ranks, Amodeo went on to acquire specialized industry certifications.

Armed with this training and a wealth of family history, Francesco left Italy for D.C. to make his mark in the American hospitality industry. Amodeo broke into the D.C. hospitality industry with coveted management positions at prestigious culinary establishments including Butterfield 9, Hook, and Bibiana. Rather than limit himself to one restaurant, Amodeo took a leap of faith, and left Bibiana so that he could concentrate all of his time and energy into creating his artisanal ‘Rosoli’ and Amari line featuring sweet and savory seasonal flavors, aperitivi and Amari giving way to the birth of Don Ciccio & Figli in Washington D.C.

20 special cocktail recipes from 10+ renowned bar experts and celebrated cocktail bars across the U.S

THE RELIEF & RESOURCE CO. (FENTON, MI) – JON FOLEY

1) A Good Beginning

1.5 oz Don Ciccio & Figli Amaro Donna Rosa

.5 oz Mount Gay XO

.25 oz Rare Wine Co. Boston Madeira

.5 oz lemon juice

.25 oz vanilla bean syrup

Do a reverse dry shake (with ice, and then without) and fine strain into an 8oz cocktail glass. Decorate with bitters atop the foam.

ROSES LUXURY (WASHINGTON, DC) – KEVIN ZIEBER

(1) Etruscan Flower

2 ounces bourbon, 3/8oz creme de cacao (pref marie brizard), 3/8oz Don Ciccio Nocino, 2 dashes orange bitters, orange peel garnish. Combine all ingredients except for orange peel in a rocks glass, stir with a large rock if you have one, express the orange peel and leave on top of the drink.

(2) La Italiana

1.5oz aged rum, 1/2oz Don Ciccio & Figli nocino, 1/2oz coffee liqueur, 1/2oz creme de cacao (again pref marie brizard) whipped sweet cream float. Combine the rum, nocino, coffee liqueur and crime de cacao in a mixing glass and add ice. Separately in a shaker, combine one crushed white sugar cube with 2-3oz of cream and one small piece of ice and shake thoroughly until whipped. Strain the mixture chilling in the mixing glass into a chilled coupe and top with a thin layer of hand-whipped sweet cream.

JON FEUERSANGER – BEAST + BOTTLE/COPERTA – DENVER CO

1) “honey made me do it” (Beast + Bottle)

Ingredients:

Don Ciccio Finocchietto 1.5oz

Lemon 1 oz

Honey Syrup 3/4 oz

Aquafaba 1/4 oz

Matcha Green Tea 1/4 teaspoon

Method of Preparation: Combine all ingredients together into shaker tin. Add Ice shake. Double Strain into tea cup.

Glassware: Tea Cups

Garnish: bee pollen +

BAR BIANCO (PHOENIX AZ) – JUSTIN VARGO

1) THE POLARIZING EXPRESS
1 oz Amaro Tonico (Ferro-Kina)
1/2 oz St George Terroir Gin
1/2 oz olive oil washed St George Terroir Gin
1/2 oz black pepper and bay shrub

Combine all ingredients in an ice filled shaker. Shake for 30 seconds. Strain into chilled cocktail coupe. Garnish with fresh cracked black pepper.

Olive oil washed gin:
Combine 1 part olive oil to six parts gin in a wide mouthed mason jar. Shake to combine. Leave for 24 hours. Put jar in freezer until oil solidifies and then remove oil puck from gin (or skip the freezer if using a fat separator).

Black pepper and bay shrub:
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
2 teaspoons black pepper corns
3 bay leaves (fresh from tree if possible)
Bring water and sugar to boil. Add peppercorns and bay and cover. Turn burner off and let steep for 15 minutes. Strain out solids and bottle.
Stir in 1 oz red-wine vinegar.