The Aperol spritz has recently found itself the subject of a dispute as heated as the drink is cold. Is the seemingly ubiquitous, tangerine-colored cocktail “not a good drink,” as the New York Times suggested? Or, are the many who rose up to defend the aperitif-anchored fizzy mixture in the right?

For Francesco Amodeo, the owner and founder of Don Ciccio & Figli, the spritz is not up for debate. “It’s a lifestyle,” he says. (He pointedly did not read the Times’ piece.) Alongside the negroni and the americano, the sparkling wine-splashed cocktail headlines the triumvirate of choices available to visitors of the distillery’s new outpost in Ivy City, which has a bar.

And Bar Sirenis is key to the flow Amodeo is trying to cultivate at the facility, which opened over the weekend. Don Ciccio & Figli has been distilling aperitifs and digestifs since 2012, inspired by Amodeo’s ancestors. His family generated 45 recipes during nearly a century of on-and-off liqueur craftsmanship on the Amalfi coast until an earthquake destroyed his grandfather’s distillery in 1980. Don Ciccio staff share this history during a short tour on how the alcohol is made, after which visitors can taste samples of all the varieties on offer.

When I attended a tasting session at the previous location near Fort Totten, which did not have an accompanying bar, I felt overwhelmed. I may have liked a shot of the Finocchietto, a fennel and dill cordial, but how the hell was I supposed to use it if I were to take a bottle home? Was the Amaro Don Fernet or the Amaro Tonico Ferro-Kina the amaro that I would rather pour into home-mixed drinks? Previously, they offered up the bitter aperitivo Cinque as a good substitute for Aperol, but, as of this week, Don Ciccio debuted the new, sweeter Ambrosia—which is best for a spritz-head? The setup of the new facility is meant to help answer these questions. It’s where customers can choose their own adventure: They pick their preferred amaro or cordial, and decide whether they want it in a spritz, negroni, americano, or other craft cocktail.

The new Don Ciccio & Figli is designed to evoke Amodeo’s beloved Amalfi Coast, with its cerulean-toned walls and special-ordered patterned tiles. But when drinking such heady cocktails as these, small bites like potato chips or olives would help ensure that two or three hours within don’t leave guests stumbling as they emerge—unlike on the Amalfi Coast, there are no tiny snacks at Don Ciccio to nosh on with your drink, though patrons are welcome to bring in their own food.

The expanse at the new distillery, which doubles the size of the previous space, will allow for hosting events (they’ve already booked three weddings) and more production. They’ve produced more than 72,700 bottles since 2019 began, and the company is getting a new machine that can bottle 1,000 bottles each hour. “We can’t make it fast enough right now,” says Amodeo.

There’s only so much that machine can do, though, given the time-intensive process of creating these liqueurs. To make the Nocino cordial, for instance, Don Ciccio workers start soaking the walnuts in June after chopping them by hand. Over Labor Day weekend, they add cinnamon and clove. Then, they leave it alone until Valentine’s Day, when it gets filtered and ultimately bottled and labeled. Do they stir the ingredients in between?

“Just forget about them,” says Amodeo. “The more you touch them, the more they get upset.”

Don Ciccio & Figli is located at 1907 Fairview Ave NE. Current hours are 12 p.m.—6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, with plans to extend them. There are no reservations required for tours or tastings.