Caffo

The Caffo Distillery is a historic brand, which has its roots in the late 19th century, when Giuseppe Caffo began his career as a Master Distiller in the Etna area. In 1915 he decided to set up his own business and bought a distillery in the town of Santa Venerina, near Catania. The production was mainly based on the processing of distillates from the abundant pomace that came from the cellars of Etna, although in the course of time Caffo also began to dedicate himself passionately to the production of liqueurs. The ancient recipes of the area were revisited and reworked, until he mastered the selection and dosage of the botanicals, and the procedures for extracting fragrances and aromas by infusing herbs, flowers, roots, plants and bark in alcohol.

Caffo's liqueurs were an immediate success and conquered the taste of the wealthier classes of Sicilian society at the beginning of the 20th century. When his son Sebastiano joined the company, he brought a new boost to the business and, together with his brothers, expanded the activity by acquiring other Sicilian distilleries. The turning point came with the purchase of a distillery in the Calabria region, in the Limbadi wine-growing area. The large availability of pomace and wine for distillation allowed for rapid growth, with a significant production of spirits and traditional liqueurs. Today, the Calabrian distillery is the heart of the company and a new, modern plant has been created next to the historic premises. The expansion of the activity has led to the acquisition of a distillery in Friuli, which specialises in the production of high quality grappa, and to the construction of a plant for the production of Calabrian liquorice.

In addition to spirits, Caffo has continued to develop a passion for liqueurs. Thanks to a meticulous collection of over 2,000 original recipes, he has been able to give a voice to the great tradition of the area, proposing new labels, which are always inspired by ancient customs or typical local products. These include Liquorice, which was the first liqueur made from pure Calabrian liquorice to be released on the market in the 1990s; Limunì, made from Calabrian lemons; Finocchietto, made from wild fennel; Bergamia, made from the fruit of the bergamot tree; Cedro della Riviera, made from an infusion of Calabrian citron and Indianello, a prickly pear liqueur. These products are complemented by traditional aniseed-based liqueurs, brandies, the Elisir Arabesh which consists of oriental herbs and spices, and the famous Liquore del Capo, which is a true excellence that has brought Distilleria Caffo worldwide fame.