In this season of indulgence (and overindulgence), some people will turn to the treadmill, while others turn to the Pepto-Bismol. Author Brad Thomas Parsons will reach for the bottle — specifically, a bottle full of a liqueur called amaro, which people have used as a digestive aid for centuries. It's an herbal recipe, and "it's actually bittersweet," Parsons says. "The bittering agents in it are actually helping your digestive system," he explains. "Four out of five doctors may not agree with everything that's working in there, but trust me." Parsons, an expert on bitters and a James Beard Award-winning writer, has spent years digging into the history and culture of the concoction for his latest book, A maro: The Spirited World Of Bittersweet, Herbal Liqueurs. Amaro is super-popular in parts of Europe, but not as well known on this side of the Atlantic. "When I was in Italy researching the book and interviewing producers, I would go into stores, [and] they would have walls, floor to
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