Cardamaro

There are evenings after a brutal day's work, when your computer screen has you hypnotized and your ergonomic chair has taken the form of your behind. You want (need!) a drink to take the edge off but can't muster the energy to think about what to pour. When that's how I feel, I reach into my fridge for Cardamaro, arguably the steal of our Amaro shelf. Piemontese Moscato wine is infused with cardoon and blessed thistle and aged for six months in new oak, yielding an amaro with nutty, delicately sweet spice notes. Never aggressively bitter and gently oxidative, Cardamaro drinks like a relative of sweet vermouth or Oloroso sherry. When I have the energy to do more than pour and sip, I'll sub it for the vermouth in a Martinez cocktail with a full-bodied gin (e.g., St. George's Dry Rye or Genever).