FROM THE ARCHIVE: Many of the most famous dishes and drinks of a region are born out of a simple desire to use up a singular ingredient that is in abundance. Limoncello was born on the Sorrento-Amalfi coast south of Naples thanks to a constant generous supply of lemons.

The oldest brand of distilled spirits still in operation was created more than 400 years ago when Pieter Jacobsz Bols settled in Amsterdam in 1575 and began distilling. After Pieter’s death, his son Lucas, an influential businessman during the Dutch Golden Age (when Amsterdam was a dominant trading city), put, as they say, the family distillery on the map.