Each country has its own unique drinks. Italy is like many other countries in that it has its own unique liquor brands. There are many types of Italian liquor, each with its own tastes and traditions. These famous Italian liquors date back to the middle of the last century. Each one is rooted in Italian culture and has its own beautiful tradition.
Along with the many types of wine, coffee and other drinks that Italians are famous for, liquors are an integral part of the Italian lifestyle. They are a part of the Italian traditions that are kept alive and are still being practiced every day. There are many great brands available if you’re searching for dark liquor brands, amaros or limoncello types.
10 Best Italian Liquor Brands
It is difficult to compile a list of the top Italian liquor brands. There are many amazing brands for each type of drink such as the amaro or nocino, limoncello or grappa. We tried to find the best Italian liquor grappa and Italian liquor after dinner.
We couldn’t include all the amazing drinks in this article so we tried to separate the top amaro brands. Soon we will cover more, including the grappa, nocino and the limoncello. You can also check out other articles like top Italian coffee brands and white wines. red wine, Proseccoeither. Let’s not go into detail about the top liquor brands. Let’s look at what Italy has to offer.
1. Campari
Campari is our favorite Italian liquor drink! Campari is the most famous of all the Italian liquor brands and it’s a drink everyone should try! Campari has been synonymous with intrigue and pleasure since its inception. Campari is a refreshing aperitif that can be used in many Italian cocktails that we love. It’s a distinctive drink that can be enjoyed at any Aperitivo event, whether it’s night in or out.
Campari is a Novara, Italy product. It all began with Gaspare Campari, a 1860 Italian entrepreneur who created a bitter-flavored beverage and a recipe that has been used ever since. Campari became more well-known over the years, thanks to collaborations with famous actors and directors like Federico Fellini.
Campari is a well-known Italian liquor brand. It’s also a popular choice for Aperitivo (after-dinner drinks). For a memorable Campari experience, make sure you visit Milan’s Camparino Bar! You can also choose from a variety of Campari-based drinks.
The Negroni Sbagliato is my favorite. This cocktail contains Campari, Vermouth, Prosecco. You can also choose Campari &Soda or Americano, Negroni and Mi To. Our favorite drink has a bitter and delicious ingredient!
2. Aperol
Aperol is without question one of the most well-known Italian liquor brands. Aperol is now available on every continent, and the Aperol heritage continues to grow. Aperol is a bittersweet, unique aperitif drink that has a secret recipe that has not changed over the years. You may be aware that the Veneto region is the origin of the Aperitivo tradition and Spritz drinks, but Aperol can also be made there.
Aperol is made with oranges, herbs and roots. It’s mixed with Prosecco, soda, and soda, making it the perfect summer drink.
An elegant orange beverage that was very popular in Italy after WW1. It was especially popular among young adults who were meeting in Padua cafes and Venetian Bacaros. Campari Group bought the drink and began a strong marketing campaign for Aperol Spritz. This made the drink very popular around the world.
Spritz stalls can be found at various festivals, and you will find plenty of Aperol terraces all over the country, 100 years after Aperol was first introduced. It’s worth visiting Milan’s Piazza del Duomo to see the Aperol Terrace. Here you can enjoy a refreshing and delicious Aperol Spritz while taking in the beautiful view of the Duomo di Milano.
3. Fernet-Branca
Fernet Branca, an Italian liquor that can be enjoyed after dinner, is what you should be searching for. It is an Italian amaro beverage made from 27 herbs and spices, which come from four continents. Fernet-Branca was established in 1845 at the Fratelli Branca Distillery, Milan. The Fernet family still owns the brand and the drink.
Fernet-Branca also offers a mint aromatized version. It has been in production since 1965. This version is known as Branca Menta if you prefer the fresh mint flavor. Fernet-Branca, one of the most well-known Italian liquor brands, has a distinctive taste that dates back to 1842 and the original Fernet Vittore recipe.
The original recipe for the Amaro was created in Milan’s Bernardino Branca. Fernet-Branca’s secret recipe has been passed down through the generations. This is an amaro beverage, but it has also been used in mixology. You can make Fernet-Branca drinks such as Branchinotto and Brancamilano.
4. Disaronno
Disaronno has become a household name with its Disaronno Sour, which was released in 2016 and became a global phenomenon. Before this, Disaronno was already a well-known Italian liquor brand. Disaronno’s taste dates back to the Renaissance, so it has a history of five centuries.
Bernardino Luini was a brilliant pupil of Leonardo da Vinci and was asked to paint a fresco of the Madonna of the Miracles at Saronno in 1525. For the Madonna portrayal, he chose a local beauty to be his muse. Legend has it that this woman gifted the artist an amber liquor flask, which was delicate and fragrant, as a token of her gratitude. The legend of Disaranno was born from a simple gesture, and a drink made with secret ingredients.
Giovanni Reina discovered the old recipe of the innkeeper in the 1600s. At this time, many families made their own liquors for hundreds of years. For centuries, the Reina family passed on the recipe to their descendants. Domenico Reina opened a shop in Saronno to sell Disaronno Originale.
In 1942, the Disaronno bottle was created. Later, Disaronno began to be sold in other countries than Italy in the 60s. A master glassmaker from Murano created a Disaronno bottle of art in the 70s that reflected history, quality, elegance. Disaronno can be used in many cocktails today, but it is also a unique drink all by itself. Disaronno Velvet, a new product, is making its mark in the international market.
5. Nardini
You may be wondering what the most loved Italian liquor is after dinner. Grappa, an Italian liquor, isn’t actually a liquor. However, it is the most common drink after dinner. There are many grappa brands to choose from. Nardini is perhaps the most well-known grappa.
Bortolo Nardini, the founder of Nardini’s distill wine, was born in 1739. He bought the Osteria Al Ponte in Bassano del Grappa and began to make grappa there. The official birth year for the Nardini Grappa, an Italian Grappa, was 1779.
Nardini has been a pioneer in the promotion of grappa and its mixes throughout the world for decades. The Grappa Handbook, a book that contains over 30 recipes for grappa cocktails, was published in 2006.
Nardini’s incredible history spans over 240 years. It is where grappa was born from a single distillery and has become one of the most loved strong drinks in Italy. Grappa is a drink that Italy is proud to have, with a culture that has evolved and expanded over the years. Nardini is the reason.
6. Limoncello Villa Massa
Most of the Italian liquor brands that we have mentioned are from northern Italy, if you pay attention. These are also Amaro drinks. The spotlight now shifts to the south. Limoncello is the most prominent liquor from the south. Limoncello is produced in Sorrento, as well as the Amalfi Coast, which is a famous area for producing it. It is sweeter than the brands we have mentioned.
Villa Massa is a popular brand for Limoncello. It is known for its exquisite taste and beautiful design. The Massa family’s homemade limoncello recipe began in 1890. It is still one of the most popular and well-known recipes. Villa Massa was famous for its Massa limoncello’s color, Ovale di Sorrento lemons, and their love of their product.
Villa Massa still makes limoncello in the same artisanal way it was 100 years ago. Villa Massa was a brand and their Limoncello was made famous by the brothers Sergio Massa and Stefano Massa. They were the first to sell and produce Limoncello in Italy, and they are still the most trusted brand for premium Limoncello.
7. Sambuca Molinari
We must continue our list of the top Italian liquor drinks by highlighting Sambuca Molinari, which was established in Civitavecchia by Angelo Molinari in 1945. He was a master perfumer and was an expert in the art of blending. He began to experiment with Sambuca Extra, a high-quality drink. It is a liqueur that has a distinctive taste thanks to star anise.
Sambuca’s secret recipe is still a mystery. Sambuca was a part of Dolce Vita’s elegant society gatherings in Rome during the 1950s and 1960s. It was a drink with coffee beans in it that became synonymous with a glamorous era. This was Federico Fellini’s inspiration for La Dolce Vita, a masterpiece. Frank Sinatra, however, was a huge fan of Sambuca Molinari. He wrote a letter to praise the drink to the Molinari clan. This is how Sambuca Molinari quickly became a top-selling liquor brand.
Sambuca’s success led to the opening of another factory in 1974. Soon they had reached their highest production rate, which was 60.000 bottles per day. His sons, Angelo Molinari’s sons, took over the legacy and grew the brand throughout Italy and around the world. The Molinari Caffee was also introduced in 2003. It is a combination of the anise flavour of Sambuca Molinari with a select blend of coffee that can be enjoyed after dinner. It can also be used as a complement to desserts and ice cream.
8. Cynar
Cynar, an Italian bitter aperitif, is another popular choice for Italian liquor after dinner. However, it isn’t nearly as well-known as the other liquor brands. Cynar, an Amaro made from 13 herbs and plants, is an Italian bitter Aperitif. The dominant note is the artichoke, whose Latin name is Cynara Scolymus. Here’s where the brand’s name comes from. This dark brown beverage has a bittersweet taste and a strength of 16.5%.
Cynar was created in 1952 for consumption on its own and in many cocktails. Cynar is often mixed with orange juice, particularly in southern Germany and Switzerland. There is also a Negroni made with Cynar, instead of Campari. Cynar Spritz can also be found, in which the Aperol and Campari are replaced by Cynar.
Cynar can be used as both an aperitif and digestif because of its artichoke ingredient. You can have it before or after dinner. Cynar has been manufactured and distributed worldwide by Campari since 1995, when it was acquired by the Campari Group.
9. Toschi Nocino
Another important feature when it comes Italian liquor brands is Nocino from Toschi. La Toschi was established in Vignola in 1945 by Giancarlo Toschi and Lanfranco Toschi. To be able to drink the cherries of Vignola throughout the year, they wanted to create a drink.
The brand has maintained its quality and mission since then. They also created the Nocino di Modena Toschi. The Nocino is made of Italian walnuts, which are traditionally collected in Modena on June 24th when the fruit has not reached maturity. Nocino’s original recipe is five simple ingredients: husk of walnuts and alcohol.
Nocino by Toschi is a popular Italian liquor brand. It is free from any added colorants and aged for at most two years. It has a dark brown color with a spicy and walnut aroma. This is a delicious drink that can be enjoyed after dinner and is a product of Emilia Romagna!
10. Mazzetti d’Altavilla Grappa
Mazzetti d’Atavilla is another grappa that is a highly regarded Italian liquor drink. This Italian liquor brand name is a must-have for those looking for luxurious, high-quality Italian drinks. In Monferrato, the Mazzotti family established their distillery. Filippo Mazzetti, a founder of Grappa production, founded his first distillery in 1846.
The Mazzetti Grappa has been one of the most well-known types of Grappa in Italy since then. Mazzetti produces a variety of liquors including gin and Amarettos. They also produce high-end Grappa in stunning packaging and design. This is the perfect gift for anyone who loves unique and exquisite drinks.
Ten Best Italian Liquor Brands
After having reviewed some of the most famous Italian liquor brands, it’s now time to make a delicious Sbagliato with Campari, one of our favorite brands. We hope that you found the information you were looking for in this article. We hope you will subscribe to our newsletters in order to keep you informed about all things Italian. We hope that you will try these great Italian drinks to experience Italy from a new perspective.
