Don Ciccio & Figli

We came as a group and loved sitting in distillery where it happens! Comfortable seating, great drinks and knowledge staff. They really know and love their craft. I'll keep coming back for all their drinks and their bottles! They also have an Airbnb on the Amalfi Coast if you prefer to drink in Italy!

We have sampled Don Ciccio amari a few times around town, so we have wanted to come here for a long time. We found the location in Ivy City, which is quite far from our home, a bit daunting, but it is well worth the trek. From the outside, there is no indication of life inside, but follow the arrow painted on the side and head in. They have multiple spaces inside, including a lounge and a back bar area. You can't go wrong with either space, just make sure to make a reservation. The one down side is they are only open Saturdays, and last seatings are at 6:30. You are free to order cocktails, amaro on its own to sip, or the best option of all, the amaro tasting. It is just $12 currently, and you get 17 small pours of different concoctions in small plastic cups. They also give you a QR code that opens up a PDF guide that gives you a little story on each amaro, including flavor notes and cocktail recommendations. Very cool. We enjoyed making our way through them all, and at the end, they give you delicious espresso and chocolate sips to enjoy for the perfect ending. Of course, after sampling, we had to buy some bottles. They go for about $40-45 apiece. Our favorites were the Luna and Donna Rossa, which are both great in negronis and boulevardier type cocktails.After the tasting, we tried some cocktails as well, and they are expert-level. They all feature a house-made amaro of course. We never like drinking on an empty stomach, so thankfully they serve some nice Italian snacks. There are not many options, but they do have charcuterie, and our fave, a bag of baked italian crackers for $8. It's the same taralli crackers you get for free at bars in Italy, which is a nice touch.

We came from out of town and this place was recommended to us. We had a tasting reservation for 5:30. They were a little behind with the tastings but communicated to us that they would get us when they were ready. We sat at the bar and enjoyed our time watching the bartender make each drink. She answered our questions about which drinks she was making and was super friendly. Definitely recommend making a reservation regardless! For our tasting, we had Katie. Katie was awesome, she was very knowledgeable about all of the products and even told us that we were able to order the products online for shipment and told us a couple of places we were able to buy near our hometown. After our tasting, we got a few cocktails. Katie and the other staff were still making sure we were happy! She was able to recommend my partner a drink that wasn't featured on the menu based off of the liquors that he enjoyed during the tasting.

Located in Ivy City is a cute distillery with handcrafted Italian herbal liqueurs. Stopped in early Saturday evening and was happy to see free street parking right up front. Ample outdoor sidewalk area with tables and umbrellas. Inside is a warehouse with velvet couches and high top tables. There is a tasting bar area as well as a separate cocktail room. TASTING:I would recommend making a reservation on Resy for a free tasting because it became very crowded very quickly. They do offer a self-guided tasting with a booklet that comes with pre-filled plastic cups for $8 per person. We received our tasting from Don Ciccio, Jr. and I thoroughly enjoyed hearing about each liqueur including the history, flavor/herbal notes and the process. It also felt very authentic coming from him with his Italian flare. There were 9 bitter liqueurs and 6 cordials and I loved the tremendous variety and thought of all the potential cocktails I could make at home!FAVORITES: (in order)#1 Concerto: sweet coffee flavor - amazing at room temperature and by itself post dinner, it's suggested over ice cream - yum! Bought a bottle of this for $45 - can't wait to drink this one!#2 C3 - Carciofo: artichoke, cardoons (thistle), grapefruits - this mixes well to make rum Negronis and Americanos - bought a bottle of this for $40.#3 Fincocchietto: I was completely shocked at how much I loved the savory vegetal and anise flavor combo #4 Ambrosia: reminds me of Aperol but with more depth of flavor and easy to do as a spritzCOCKTAILS:Ramona: prickly pear, cinque, mezcal, grapefruit soda - complex, a little sour but a refreshing summer drinkPeppino: limoncello, gin, lemon, prosecco - reminiscent of French 75 but I found this a little too gin forwardThey also sell bottled cocktails (750ml) or variety packs which I am interested in trying next time. I would definitely come back and bring friends to try this - I'm certain that everyone would buy at least one bottle!

Was invited for a bday tasting and I was not expecting for this place to look like this. In a good way lol. Parking was pretty easy and when I went in it gave me a warehouse vibes. The bartender was super nice. I am a novice to amaros but due to traffic we missed the tasting portion. Nonetheless bartender took care of us and when I was he was super knowledgeable he was super knowledgeable. I told him what my go to cocktail usually is and he made the equivalent. If I were able to do the tasting portion I'd give it an extra star. I will be back!

My prior experience with Italian cordials, bitters and liqueurs were extremely limited prior to coming to this place. After having a conversation with a friend, my buddy and I googled this place and said we'd come through. We were considering reserving, but decided to just do a walk-in instead. Luckily enough, there was an opening! When we went inside, there was a huge open lounge area, with some comfy seating and some small tables. At the far end of where we entered was the bar area, with a big plastic barrier in the middle. Only two parties could occupy it at once, separated by the plastic barrier, and one section was open. Perfect!After tending to the other party, we met John, who gave us the history of the place and took us on the journey through all of the selections! Going through how I felt about each one would make this review entirely too long, so I will just go for the highlights.Ambrosia - the first one we tried, VERY refreshing with turmeric, blood orange, canteloupe, carrots & botanicals.Amaro Don Fernet - I have tried a few fernets, and this one is far superior. Mandarinetto - similar to Limoncello, but syrupier and orange-flavored. Would absolutely love to put it into a a mimosa or rum.Finocchietto - Fennel and Dill Liqueur... I thought I was going to dislike it but I was literally shook after my taste. It was so delicious and refreshing!Nocino - being walnut-based, I wondered if it'd remind me of Amaretto... but in fact, it's way better. And it tastes so much like the fall season! While I could've easily purchased every single bottle to have on hand, I was responsible and I will be looking out for a near-future subscription service. I'm glad my friend bought a couple bottles, because they deserve business. These are amazing options to have in the household for budding mixologists. Huge shout out to John for having such great conversation with us and giving us such a great experience! I would love to return and introduce this to more friends. I just wish I discovered it sooner so I could've taken advantage of the outdoor seating. Now it's about to be too cold, oh well!

If you have even the slightest interest in Italian liqueurs, you should visit Don Ciccio and Figli. The experience is well worth your time. I recommend a reservation for tasting through the Resy app. I came here with my husband on a recommendation from a friend. Neither of us are familiar with Italian distilled spirits beyond maybe limoncello; so we came looking for a new adventure and we definitely found one. The location just looks like a storage building with outdoor seating from outside, but once you walk in, the environment is transformed into more of an industrial lounge/distillery theme. There is a large bar for tastings and we were greeted as soon as we walked up. You get to try all the spirits in a tasting and believe me you will get your money's worth and an education at the same time. It was really easy to have a conversation with the staff while enjoying each liqueur. There is an obvious proud family history to the brand and you can tell they care about the quality of their spirits. The place was a little loud, but you could still converse without difficulty hearing the people in your party or the staff. The lounge has kind of a hip yet old world Italian vibe to it. After the tasting we stayed to enjoy a hand crafted cocktail in their lounge and purchased a few of our favorite spirits from the tasting line up, before we left. Thanks for a great experience, we plan to come back again! :-)

My employer had a holiday party at this place and I am REALLY glad they did! Otherwise, I never would have found this place, being located off the beaten track a block off New York Avenue way on the east side of DC. It is a large warehouse space with concrete floors, large overstuffed velvet couches and comfortable areas to be part of a big crowd or to have a smaller group conversation. It exudes this industrial cool vibe. The liquors are awesome and the drinks are insanely good. The whole place is clean, clean, clean! The staff is knowledgeable and friendly. The only downside? Maybe the street where you leave your car. There were more than a few times during the evening that I worried someone was breaking into my car. But you can't lead your life that way. Just go to Don Ciccio & Figli and have a great time!

Don Ciccio & Figli is one of the distilleries in Ivy City, but it stands out for two reasons:1) Tastings: It has the best tastings in the area. For free, you can try 16 of their bottles (and have seconds of any you like). There's a tip jar at the counter, but it's not required (though, I recommend tipping since the staff are great).2) Story: It's inspiring. The owner's family started making liqueurs along the Alfami Coast in Italy in 1883. In 2011, Francesco brought the recipes to Washington, D.C. Now he and his team distill it out of a warehouse in Ivy City.Other points that stick out:1) Location: It's the first distillery you come to in Ivy City if you are driving east from New York Avenue. It's building is well marked and painted an attractive shade of blue. Once you go inside, follow the blue into their space. There's a large open lounge area with couches and two tasting bars. Bar Sirenis is in the back and is the same gorgeous blue. 2) Drinks: There's a reason why Bon Appetit featured them. They make ten drinks that are bitter. I don't love bitter, but none were cutting. I enjoyed them. For those of us who like sweeter drinks, they make six cordials that are tasty. If you want a fun afternoon, head to Don Ciccio and Figlio. They welcome kids and didn't shun our toddler for being there (after all, the owner has a little daughter too).

I love Don Ciccio & Figli. I've sampled their liqueurs several times at the Dupont Farmers Market and finally made it to their tasting room and cocktail bar. It's gorgeous inside--deep blues, whites, and mermaid accents create an atmosphere of serenity. Lisa was the tasting guide and she was wonderful. She was super friendly and helpful, and really knowledgeable. You can tip her on Venmo, which is great because I never have cash. My favorite was definitely the carciofo, which if you know me, is no surprise. I also loved the nocino and limoncello. I wish they'd make a pistachio-cello. After the tasting, which allows a sampling of their entire collection, I went into their bar, Bar Sirenis. The bar is chic and sexy. My cocktail was the Peppino and I loved it. It was light, easy drinking, but strong. The bartender/owner was great and so was the other bar staff. Don Ciccio really is a lovely place to escape the world and enjoy their offerings.