fbpx

22nd March 2023

LUXARDO HISTORY

Two years ago, in 2021, Luxardo celebrated its 200th birthday as Italy’s largest, independent and family-owned distiller.

It all began in 1817 when Girolamo Luxardo, a native of Genova, who settled, along with his family, in the town of Zara having been appointed the rather grand title of Consular Representative of the Kingdom of Sardinia.

Situated on the Dalmatian Coast in Croatia, Zara was, back then, under Austrian rule following the fall of the Venetian Republic in 1797. Renowned as a centre of Croatian literature, and later the birthplace of footballer Luca Modric, Zara also boasts a borderline humid subtropical and Mediterannean climate.

It is this climate that lent itself to the cultivation of the marasca cherry which had, for centuries, been used by locals to make a macerated cherry liqueur. Girolamo’s wife Maria Canevari was especially enamoured by these local liquid specialities and some years after she began creating her own, Girolamo built a distillery in Zara to make it huge quantities.

Before long, Luxardo’s Maraschino Liqueur was being exported all around the world, its bottle emblazoned with images of carrier doves which Girolamo used for sending messages right up to his death in the 1865.

After his son Nico took over the reins of the business, it passed down to Michelangelo, the 3rd generation of the Luxardo family, who built a state-of-the-art distillery in 1913 which, now under Italian rule, flourished until it was largely destroyed in World War II bombing raids.

The Luxardo family suffered further post-war tragedy at the hands of Tito when both Pietro Luxardo and Nicolo II and his wife drowned in the Adriatic.

The factory was confiscated and nationalized, and the family dispersed. It seemed that – more than a century later – Luxardo’s business was destined to close for good.

The only surviving brother of the fourth generation, Giorgio Luxardo had the courage to restart the old business from scratch thanks to his far-sighted business acumen. He chose February 10th 1947, the day of the Paris Italian Peace Treaty by which his hometown was ceded to Yugoslavia, to open the Torreglia plant in the province of Padova, at the foot of the Euganean Hills, thereby beginning a new chapter in the company’s history.

After the sacrifices imposed by the historical vicissitudes, the fifth generation, comprising Nicolò III, Michele and Franco, managed to restore the company to its former glory. They developed a full range of liqueurs, thus significantly increasing the company’s position in the Italian domestic market and focusing on penetrating the worldwide markets.

Thanks to the consolidation of existing markets and the innovations introduced to its management, the early 1980s saw a period of substantial investment in the Torreglia plant.

Traditional copper stills, evocative cellars for aging and ultra-modern bottling lines are the distinctive features of a company that combines respect for tradition with up-to-date technology.

Luxardo now processes its marasca cherries at the Torreglia plant every year, directly controlling the entire production chain, from the raw material to the bottling phase, achieving a total of more than 6 million bottles per year.

The headquarters covers an area of 12,000 square metres and has about 50 employees, around 90 business partners in Italy and over 80 importers worldwide.

The company’s portfolio includes a comprehensive mix of internationally successful brands, offering consumers a full range of classic Italian liqueurs. Maraschino and Cherry Liqueur ‘Sangue Morlacco’ are the two traditional products.

Luxardo also produces other typical Italian liqueurs including Sambuca dei Cesari, Amaretto di Saschira, Limoncello, Aperitivo etc., together with a wide selection of specialities for confectionery.

Furthermore, more than 20 years ago the Original Maraschino Cherries were created to meet the need of the quality-minded cocktail world. To it was later added a specific preserves line.

The fifth, sixth and seventh generations of the family that now work together in the company are committed to ensuring that the legacy of Girolamo Luxardo continues.

More from Spirit Club

Sign Up To Newsletter... Go On. It’s Really Good

We’ll send you dates and information on upcoming shows, offers and gifts alongside lots of awesome drinks stuff that will make your life better.

Sign Up Now