All of these are digestivi designed to get your digestion going, contrasting with the aperitivi you have to get your appetite going at the start of the meal. (Nowadays, doctors realize that drinking liqueurs with high alcohol content is more likely to irritate your stomach than stimulate it… But, hey, they taste good.) Often, the heading is amari, from the Italian word for ‘bitter’… but there might be any number of sweet things – like limoncello or sambuca – or fiery things – like grappa.

Some Amari are bottled directly after the sweetening step. Others are aged in wooden barrels to intensify their flavor.

AMARO LUCANO

The dose of bourbon brings a strong boozy undertone that stands up to the boldly flavored Amaro Lucano.

The recipes are as varied as the Italian landscape and as secret as nonna’s tomato sauce. The combinations of herbs, roots, flowers, and spices — determined by the plants found in different regions — are intended to stimulate the stomach and aid in digestion after a meal. History: A relatively new amaro, Cynar was created by Angelo Dalle Molle in 1952 from artichoke leaves and 13 herbs and plants. He christened it with the slogan, “Cynar, against the stress of modern life.” While Cynar may have a modest history, its creator was anything but: an Italian playboy involved in the invention of the Italian electric car, Molle had six children with six different women, died at 90, and left his entire fortune to his secretary.China (pronounced as kina) — made with bark of Cinchona calisaya. The oldest and most popular brand is China Martini, based in Turin. Amaro is typically drunk neat, sometimes with a citrus wedge. It may also be drunk on ice or with tonic water. Many commercial bottlers trace their recipe or production to the 19th century. Recipes often originated in monasteries or pharmacies.

Vermouth — Unlike other amaros, which are typically made from grain-based alcohol, vermouth amaro is wine-based. It is sweeter with more citrus, and very closely resembles the aperitif vermouth. Examples are Amero, Amaro Don Bairo, Amaro Diesus del Frate. Questo gin fresco, ai petali di rosa, è stato prodotto per onorare la mamma del capo distillatore, Rose. Si tratta di un piccolo lotto di Gin, molto speciale, che nasce da una completa rielaborazione della ricetta del Wild Botanical Gin.That early pioneer brand is still available, although its shop-front origins are far behind it as it’s owned by a major multinational. That said, it’s still firmly connected with the city of Milan. Andrea Guccione (16 December 2013). Consuma meridionale: Un manifesto per il sud. Imprimatur editore, 2013. ISBN 978-8868301132.