J. Rieger & Co. Caff Amaro Liqueur

A complex, next-level Amaro.

Founded by an Austrian immigrant Jacob Rieger and later taken over by his family, J. Rieger & Co. used to be the largest mail-order Whiskey in the world until the good ol Prohibition came up. Today, they are proudly back in Kansas City. I mean, somebody had to open up Kansas City’s first distillery in almost a century!

Do you know what Nathan Perry, head distiller and creator of the Caff Amaro process says of Caff Amaro? It is a pain in the ass to make. Lucky for you, you get to just savor it. J. Rieger & Co. Caff AmaroLiqueur is made in cooperation with Thou Mayest, Kansas City-based coffee roasters, who select a single origin coffee roast. A blend of botanicals are steeped in a corn Spirit. A gigantic batch of coffee is blended into the base. Then, the Amaro Spirit and the coffee blend are aged in Whiskey barrels where they meld perfectly together. Just before bottling, cane syrup is added for the ideal level of sweetness to level out the bitter botanical base. All in all, there are 10 separate transfers from different tanks and barrels. Its all worth it, though, when you taste the complex layers of flavors. Savor it as an aperitivo after a meal or bring your cocktails to a whole new level.