Amaro, Italian for bitter, is an old world liqueur made to aid digestion. Amari are traditionally consumed either slowly before meals as an apertivo, or after meals as a digestivo. Across cultures our ancestors have known what modern science has only recently begun to explain, that the bitter flavor is vitally important for our digestion. Yet bitters as a whole have been bred out of our lives—public lands with wild bitter greens enclosed and sprayed with poison, the flavor bred out of cultivated food, and the very act of being bitter painted as negative. Something that I find really interesting is that to feel or be bitter is to be angry and hurt, specifically at being treated unjustly. So, a completely healthy human response, yet it's loaded with negative connotations and most people wouldn't want to be described as such.

Bitters support us in so many fundamental ways, through their support of our digestive function by stimulating digestive juices and enzymes which break down our food and help us to actually assimilate the nutrients they contain, as well as aiding in healthy elimination. When we are getting the most we can nutritionally from our food all our other body systems are positively impacted—we put ourselves in a better position across the board, from getting better rest, and maintaining healthy skin, to being able to better prevent and defend against sickness.

This Amaro is an ode to the Sybils of Italy who delivered nourishment to the people straight from the land in the form of sharp truths. I chose a still of Lila from the adaptation of Ferrante's Neapolitan Quartet as the image for this medicine because she embodies the boldness and importance of embracing bitterness—she's one of the many peasant sybils among us who pays attention to the realities of material life, refuses to be hoodwinked by abstract theories, and insists on the observable complexities of the here and now. May these bitters help us digest and assimilate what we take in, from our food to what's going on in the world around us and to connect to the Lila inside all of us—the neighborhood girl who refuses to abandon justice—who chooses to stay and fight.

To Use : Take these before and/or after meals and be sure to take them straight on the tongue, as the key to bitter medicine lies in the sensory relationship of actually tasting the flavor. It is this communication on the tongue that sends a signal through the vagus nerve directly to the liver!

Available in 2 oz amber glass bottle with dropper top.

Ingredients (all organic, and/ or wild, always) - Gentian, Burdock, Orange, Fenugreek, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cacao, Vanilla, Belladonna Flower Essence, Raw Honey, Organic Spirits.

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Required Disclaimer - These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.