There are some very interesting spirits coming out of Quebec (like Dandy Gin by Domaine LaFrance). Avril Amaretto is the newest spirit added to Distillerie Mariana’s lineup, and it’s a unique take on the traditional Italian spirit.

Avril Amaretto is a collaboration between Spiritueux Iberville’s founder Mario D’Amico, and Distillerie Mariana’s Jonathan Couturier and Jean-Philippe Roussy. A craft Amaretto, it integrates elements from Quebec’s terroir (maple syrup, balsam fir, forest chestnut flour).

The result is a sweet, syrupy liqueur that evokes feelings of wood stoves and cozy one-room school houses. On the nose, there’s maraschino cherry, scotch cookies, vanilla and almonds. It’s a warm, cool-weather sipper with flavours of hot buttered rum, cookie dough, nuts, spice and vanilla. Delicious pitted-fruit aftertaste caps everything off.

It definitely calls for something savoury as a food pairing, to balance the super sweet sipper. You can find cocktail ideas on the Spiritueux Iberville website.

Avril Amaretto / $35.25