Francesco Amodeo was working as a general manager and wine director at Washington D.C.’s Bibiana when a diner tasted some of the spirits he had been making as a side project and suggested that they team up to bottle and sell them. “At the time, I was thinking of opening my own restaurant—not a distillery,” recalls Amodeo. “But destiny had other plans for me in the industry.”
It's only logical. The Italian-born entrepreneur comes from a long lineage of liqueur aficionados—those whose story dates back to 1883 and halfway across the world to Atrani, Italy. “It all started on the Amalfi Coast, where my great-grandmother was working with a company producing cakes and candies, and my great-grandfather was creating recipes for various liqueurs,” says Amodeo. But when World War I hit, so did sky-high sugar prices, causing all production to cease. It wasn’t until 1951, when Amodeo’s grandfather Francesco resurrected the recipes—and a distillery—in the hills of Furore, that the family legacy continued. For several decades they produced upwards of 45 products, including amari, aperitivi, and sweeter cordials, until a 1980 earthquake caused significant damage to the worksite.
Ambrosia and Negroni bottles from Don Ciccio & Figli. Photo: LB Kennedy
Still, Amodeo was not dismayed. “After all of these halts in production, we wanted to start again and to commercialize the brand—before, my grandparents had been giving away bottles without any labels or brand identity,” says Amodeo, who started Don Ciccio & Figli in 2012 in Washington D.C.’s Manor Park neighborhood. “We also wanted to modernize the recipes in a way that today’s consumer could use them, be that by sipping or by mixing into cocktails.” Today, that means production out of their new location in D.C.’s Ivy City section, where they make 15 products that range from the sweet (cordials) to the bold (amari and aperitivi).
Here, Amodeo shares more about his favorite bottles, the evolving American palate, and the insight from his grandfather that he will never forget.
What spirits did you decide to debut first?
Back in 2012, limoncello was very popular—and still is today. We wanted to start with offerings that people were accustomed to, that they could relate to, so we started with sweeter cordials. After that came the amaro, and after that the aperitivo. As the American palate was evolving, we saw negronis being enjoyed. We tried to follow the bartending world and the ways in which that landscape was moving us towards modern times.
At what point did you start to take notice of American imbibers expressing an interest in amaro?
We released our first amaro in 2014. We saw that as farmers markets were becoming more popular, and as people were becoming more interested in what they were eating, they also were becoming more interested in what they were drinking. There was a shift in appreciation from the commercialized to the local. We saw this in the beer category, too—how it has really blossomed to allow for many new contenders, as compared to the past, when we only had the usual suspects of big brands.
How do you interpret the American palate today with amari, and with bitter liqueur, overall?
I think it’s generational. New generations are going to grow up knowing what a negroni is, versus the generation of my father, who didn’t know what a negroni was until he was 50. It also has a lot to do with culture. American culture is based on cocktails, whereas Italians know how to make products that go into a cocktail, but they aren’t necessarily the first ones to enjoy it in a cocktail because they are typically traditionalists and prefer to sip it. But I believe these products are here to stay. I don’t see offerings like negronis, spritzes, or black Manhattans going away anytime soon.
What kind of work did you have to do in educating your clientele on amari, overall—and on your products, specifically?
For the first couple of years, we had a lot of work to do in terms of education, showing consumers what we were trying to do and how we were doing it. Soon, Brad Thomas Parsons’ book Bitters came out, then his book Amaro. And then we began to see a lot of change in the category. We went from people asking the question, “What is amaro?” to “when are you coming out with the next one?” People were now acquainted with it—they understood what it was, and they enjoyed it.
Don Ciccio & Figli bottled cocktails.
How often do you return to Italy, and do your trips include any research?
I try to go once or twice a year, and when I’m not there, I call upon a lot of my uncles and aunts because they live in all different parts of the country—they’re my soldiers. The other day, for example, my aunt went all the way to Etna to find this wild mint that grows only there, so that she could bring me the seeds for a product we’re trying to recreate from the original portfolio.
Which of your bottles is your favorite of the moment?
If it’s very hot and humid and I want something that’s lower in alcohol, I go with either the Ambrosia or the Donna Rosa for a spritz or an americano—americanos made with rhubarb liqueurs are delicious. If it’s before dinner, I reach for a negroni with the Luna Aperitivo and to end a meal, after eating the impossible, then I call upon the Amaro delle Sirene for sure—just on the rocks with an orange expression. They’re all really fun to mix and experiment with, too— it’s just one of the reasons we built the bitterness barometer on our website, so people can be guided towards what they might most enjoy.
What has surprised you most about the American audience and their response to your products?
When we started, we wanted to offer a product that started off sweet and finished bitter, and a line that was versatile. It’s amazing—especially with Bar Sirenis that we opened two years ago, when we moved to our bigger location—how much we saw that people really do appreciate what we’re doing. We’re just happy that people are coming to see our work and experiencing how the bar can be a place to showcase how a product can be transformed into something entirely different.
What's the most important aspect of continuing your family’s name and work today?
My grandfather, whom we named the company after, passed away a year after we opened. I was able to see him before that to show him the bottles with his name on the front and his signature on the back. He said something that will always stay with me: “Never compromise.” How it’s not just about what you like to drink, but about what those around you want to drink—that there will always be a few who won’t understand what you’re doing, but then to understand that it’s not for them. “Never compromise”—we apply this to every step we take, from the ingredients and the sourcing to the blending and the bottling.