Elixir Inc

Andrea has two great authentic handmade Italian liqueurs — Calisaya & Iris. His humble operation is a must visit. He is very Italian — he threatened to kill me when I asked for his recipe. Calisaya has a lot go’en on. The lovely translucent copper color is derived mostly from cinchona bark — a product from Peru, which also has a very interesting history with Italy/​Rome dating back to the 1600’s. He uses over a dozen aromatic botanicals & flowers to create this beguiling lovely elixir. It has a whiff of bitter orange, leather, spice. A wonderful mouth feel that goes down very smooth. Sort of a clean tasting incense — not smoky or too dense.
The other is Iris. A soft straw color, not completely different, more like a family member, perhaps slightly less complexity, maybe a teeny tiny wee bit sweeter, but definitely more floral notes.