Distiller Todd Leopold hit the bull's-eye last summer — yet again — with his version of a bitter Italian liqueur that he named, simply, Aperitivo. The 22nd spirit in the Leopold Bros. lineup is an astringent, scarlet-hued aperitif that finds a rightful place on back bars next to Campari and Aperol, its cousins by nature. Aperitivo's base spirit is vodka, which Leopold re-distills in two separate batches — one with grapefruit peel, the other with coriander, saving only the best parts of each of those distillations. In a mixing tank, the grapefruit and coriander distillates are blended, then allowed to macerate for two to three weeks with cane sugar and a blend of botanicals: hyssop, petite wormwood, gentian root, vanilla and sarsaparilla root. The result is an earthy, floral and slightly bitter spirit that is perfect in a Negroni (or its whiskey variation, the Boulevardier) — or simply on the rocks. Notes Leopold, "There's a floral overlay, with the grapefruit dancing above it."