Aaron Selya

I was working as a brewer when I first encountered Fernet—a brand of bitter Amaro identified by its intensity. At the time, Italian digestivos were not well known, and just ordering one set you apart as spirit insider—like a bartender’s “secret handshake”. But that underground quality was only part of what captured my interest. It was also the appeal of the spirit itself: highly flavored, with a lot of dimension in just one glass.

At the seasonal holiday party that same year, my brewery boss and I brought different brands of Amaro, and when we opened the bottles, a lot more than the spirit poured out. We began to talk about Amaro, and as that conversation flowed, so grew my passion. I knew I wanted to create my own.

When I came to Philadelphia Distilling in 2012, that was my plan and my promise: I would create an Amaro worthy of the brand. And now, 6 long years of experimentation later, here it is: VIGO AMARO.