Drink of the Week: Faccia Brutto Amaro Gorini

If you ask me what I typically drink around the time spring opens the door to summer, the least likely answer would be amari. While certain bitter liqueurs do stay in my rotation year-round (a personal favorite: small pours of Cappelletti while sipping a Peroni), I’ve typically reached for the big, bold bottles of Italian amari on my shelf as cooler weather sets in. That is, until Faccia Brutto’s Amaro Gorini entered my life.

Faccia Brutto joined the wave of American spirits companies exploring amari (more on that here) with the brand’s initial bottles released last year, and Amaro Gorini, inspired by the spirits of southern Italy, debuted this spring. Built on a 13-botanical blend, Gorini is a seasonal chameleon. An olio of orange, rhubarb root, cardamom, and fennel seed, the amaro is aged in ex-whiskey barrels for a minimum of three months. Cane sugar, added after the initial maceration, creates a twisting union of sweet and bitter flavors that leaves a delicate coating in the mouth like a lick from a lollipop. In hot weather, it tastes strikingly refreshing, and its herbal character is quietly electric, though I can easily imagine finding its warming caramel notes more pronounced once fall comes knocking. $44.99, leonandsonwine.com