Don Ciccio & Figli
Don Ciccio & Figli is a small batch distillery that produces Italian-style liqueurs
Don Ciccio & Figli has opened a new tasting room in the Ivy City neighborhood. I have not yet had a chance to visit them in their new tasting room. The post below describes my visit to their old location in Takoma.
Don Ciccio & Figli produces a variety of liqueurs in an industrial area in northeast DC. When trying to locate the distillery, it is easy to feel like you are in the wrong place as there’s likely to be few other people around, and the signage is limited. Visitors are instructed to follow the mermaids up to the second floor to find the tasting room. (This is not a metaphor – there are actual mermaids painted in the stairwell.) Once there, you are offered a free tasting of an astounding 14 different liqueurs. On my visit, we started with five aperitivi (the plural of aperitivo), which are meant to be consumed before dinner. They are usually bitter and are supposed to stimulate your appetite. We then moved on to five fruit-based cordials. These are used in after-dinner drinks as a kind of dessert. The tasting ended with four types of amari (the plural of amaro), another after-dinner drink that is bitter like an aperitivo and meant to aid digestion.
The staff leading the tastings seemed surprised at our request for a tour, but were happy to lead us around the production area. Unlike most distilleries, no fancy equipment is required. A neutral grain spirit (a flavorless vodka), is poured into plastic tubs with fruit, herbs, botanicals, and other flavorings. Our tour guide described it as an infusion factory more than distillery since no fermentation is required. We were given a peak of the limoncello being made, and it smelled amazing. Most of the liqueurs are left to absorb the flavors for about two months. Others are aged in barrels to introduce additional flavors and increase sweetness without using sugar.
Although Don Ciccio & Figli is small and the tour is short, the breadth of their line of liqueurs is a great introduction to the wide variety of liqueurs and how to use them. The great-grandfather of the founder of Don Ciccio & Figli started making liqueurs in the 1880s on the Amalfi Coast in southern Italy. Recipes were passed down through the generations until an earthquake destroyed the distillery in 1980. Don Ciccio & Figli is the latest incarnation of this family business and stays true to traditional techniques, like aging some liqueurs in clay pots imported from Italy.
The owners of Don Ciccio & Figli still work full-time jobs in addition to running their distillery. They hope their success allows them to expand to create their own spirits and do more marketing about the cocktails that can be made using their liqueurs. While I enjoyed the tasting and short tour, it would be nice to have a bar area where cocktails could be tried using the liqueurs and an area to hang out with friends like you can find at Republic Restoratives or One Eight Distilling. Whether you are familiar with amari and aperitivi or not, I recommend venturing to Don Ciccio & Figli to taste this unique line of locally made liqueurs and expanding your palate.
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Address
1907 Fairview Ave NE
Metro Station
- NoMa-Gallaudet U (RD)
- Rhode Island Ave-Brentwood (RD)
Directions
Don Ciccio & Figli is about a mile and a half walk from either the NoMa or Rhode Island metro stops. I recommend either walking from NoMa or taking the D8 bus from Rhode Island.
Cost
Free
Hours
Saturday and Sunday from 1:00 – 8:00 pm
Length of Adventure
45 minutes
