New Delhi, May 31 -- "Let's see if you can identify the ingredients," says Friar Marcus, the history expert at Anantara Convento di Amalfi Grand Hotel on Italy's Amalfi Coast. The bartender pours a shot of the pale, straw-coloured liqueur in my glass. I take a sniff and can straightaway identify the primary ingredient.

"Fennel," I say. Friar Marcus looks surprised (and impressed). He doesn't know that saunf is a common digestive in India and that I grew up chewing fennel seeds after most meals. I also identify basil and juniper. The amaro masterclass is going rather well, if I say so myself.

Amaro is an herbal liqueur commonly consumed as a digestif in Italy. Digestifs are less about drinking and more about extending a meal. After long ...