Antica Distilleria Quaglia

With a heritage spanning four generations since its founding in 1890, its perhaps little mystery that the secret ingredient in the liqueurs of Piemonte’s Distilleria Quaglia is time. Drawing inspiration from the past, Distilleria Quaglia provides a taste of history for modern times, utilising artisanal methods that respect the extraordinary traditions of Piemonte, a region that places the dialogue between field and bottle at the centre of its palate, offering the utmost respect to the raw materials of the land from which they harvest. Nestled between Monferrato and the hills towards Turin, the distillery has been certified organic since 2018.

This respect for tradition, however, has been particularly cherished by younger generations of the Quaglia family. What came before them was, in fact, a philosophy of immense curiosity and creativity. Carlo Quaglia, son of its founder Giuseppe, took over the business in 1930 with the main aim of improving efficiency and increasing production capacity – it was when the third generation took control that the ‘forward-thinking’ approach of the distillery’s ancestry was married with tradition, utilising original stills and production methods for the creation of exquisite quality Quaglia products. We’ve been mesmerised by the results of this cross-generational dialogue: highly prized single variety grappe; a Vintage Line developed from 18 off-the-beaten-track ancestral recipes; and hand-mixed, small-batch and ready-to-serve classic cocktails crying out for a dinner party.

But where Distillery Quaglia really stole our hearts – and glasses – was in its ‘Berto’ line. Berto, according to fourth generation Carlo Quaglia is an artist – designed to be unconventional, unique, history-led but future focused. Long infusions of selected aromatic herbs and all-natural ingredients provide a range of spirits of unparalleled flavour. Three gins – London Dry, Old Tom and Juniper wood aged styles – traditional Turin vermouths, a Bitter and a classic Aperitivo constitute the Berto cabinet. Think Aperol spritz – but make it natural, organic and loaded with history.