The newest addition to the already-fantastic lineup of craft spirits at Philadelphia Distilling will leave you feeling bitter — in a good way! Vigo Amaro, inspired by the class of Italian liqueur known as digestivo, is meant to be sipped after dinner as you linger around the table with friends and family.
This amaro is named after Francis Vigo, an Italian financier who supported the Colonial cause for independence, and it is also a tribute to the many Italian-Americans who’ve made life richer and more delicious in the Greater Philadelphia area. While still relatively unknown in the States, digestivo are ubiquitous in Italian cuisine, often loaded with herbs and botanicals for a complex, pleasantly bitter flavor.
Vigo Amaro is handcrafted with California dried plums, nutmeg, rose, elderflower, cinnamon, cinchona bark, kona nut and muscovado sugar. The heady combination of the plants, spices and sugar results in a nuanced earthy quaff with a touch of rich molasses, a slight minerality and a savory edge.
You can try Vigo Amaro at Philadelphia Distilling’s tasting room in Philly’s Fishtown neighborhood; it’s currently available straight or mixed into cocktails like the Vigo Spritz (Vigo Amaro and sparking cider) and the house Manhattan (Bluecoat Barrel Finished Gin, Vigo Amaro and Jack’s citrus bitters). It’s on the food menu, as well, in dishes like bavette steak, with polenta cake, fontina, charred broccolini and Vigo Amaro jus. You can also take some home by the bottle — currently, it’s the only place in the area where it’s available, though we hope to see it in Fine Wine & Good Spirits shops soon!
Find Philadelphia Distilling at 23 E. Allen St. in Philadelphia; phone: (215) 671-0346.
- Photo: Philadelphia Distilling
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