Del Capo (Vecchio Amaro del Capo) is a digestif [ingredient=amaro amaro] from Calabria, in Southern Italy. It was invented in 1915 by Giuseppe Caffo, and is made from 29 secret Calabrian herbs and spices, including both bitter and sweet orange, mandarin, licorice, chamomile and juniper. It is moderately sweet and 70 proof.

Amaro del Capo is dark brown in color and fairly opaque. Taken as a digestif, it's meant to be served at freezer temperatures in small glasses. It smells and tastes like honey, mint, dusty spices and licorice. The citrus component is muted, but there's a lingering finish of sweet minty notes and honey. It's a decent substitution for other dark amari like Averna or [ingredient=ramazzotti Ramazzotti].

Del Capo website

A bottle of Vecchio Amaro del Capo
©2011 Z. Pearson