story: BRIAN FREEDMAN
Greg Root, co-owner of the excellent ROOT Restaurant & Wine Bar in Philadelphia, which also boasts a smart cocktail program, recommends exploring Averna Amaro, “a bittersweet liqueur with smooth taste and notes of caramel,” he wrote in an email. The restaurant, he added, “is unveiling a new hot cocktail with Averna; it’s a winter warmer with hot butter batter and Rye Whiskey. If you’re looking for a natural fit into any holiday drink, I suggest Lairds Apple Brandy; the 100-proof is perfectly suited for mixing in a wide variety of cocktails with intense flavors and a hint of warmth. For even more heat during the cold weather, the Michters Rye is a must-have with a hot and heavily wooded palate and a sweet nose. Something that doesn’t need time and effort and can be served over the rocks is Barrows Intense Ginger Liqueur. It’s a bold, highly aromatic liqueur bursting with a spicy ginger flavor.”