Liquore delle Sirene Bitter, Veneto, Italy (750ml)   

The Liquori delle Sirene are a collection of bitters and liqueurs made by the lovely Elisa Carta, a trained sommelier and olive oil taster, and a passionate herbalist. All of her products were born on Lake Garda, and were inspired by its gardens, colors, sunsets, and aromas. Many of the botanicals come from here. Though the category is dominated by more traditional red bitters, Sirene is characterized by a beautiful golden-auburn hue. The flavor is soft and warming but not overly sweet. The floral and herbal botanicals play off of each other and the kina and gentian surface on the finish, which is long and balanced with notes of salted caramel and vanilla.

Sirene Bitter is wildly versatile and works in a wide variety of different cocktails. Some people enjoy using it as you would the traditional red variety: on the rocks with soda as an aperitivo; in a Negroni or Boulevardier; or it can also be enjoyed as you would an amaro, at the end of a meal as a traditional Italian digestivo. Other good pairings include ginger beer, bergamot, or grapefruit soda.