Fior di Sicily

Fior di Sicily

A heavy amaro, a bitter orange aperitif, a really good vermouth, and elderflower liqueur, all mixed together in a glass. This didn’t sound like a very likely combo when I first heard it, but when Jon put the drink together and gave me a sip, I was amazed. The word that comes to mind is comforting: sweet, spicy and deep. This is a drink that’s going to make a lot of appearances next fall. It’s definitely more than the sum of its parts.

Fior di Sicily

Fior di Sicily

From Left Coast Libations by Ted Munat and Michael Lazar

  • 3/4 oz Averna amaro
  • 3/4 oz Carpano Antica vermouth
  • 3/4 oz Aperol
  • 3/4 oz St. Germain elderflower liqueur
  • orange peel for garnish
  • Combine the spirits in a mixing glass, stir with ice, and strain into a cocktail glass. Flame the orange peel over the drink, then add the peel to the glass.

    investigating amaro

    Blood Orange cocktail

    On a recent expedition to Seattle, we checked out a liquor store that we hadn’t been to before, down in the Sodo district. Fortunately for us, as our local liquor stores don’t carry much of a selection, the state liquor board website is kept more or less up to date, and we were able to determine that the Sodo store was one of the only places in the state that carried a particular gin we were looking for. As it turned out, they had a happy selection of amaro as well. We picked up a bottle of Amaro Nonino and took it home to experiment.

    amaro nonino

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