The history and the team behind Nuovo Liquorificio Fabbrizii in Val d’Aveto

Ligury is a long and narrow Italian strip of a region, stretching like an arch over the Mediterranean sea: the city of Genoa is in the middle of it, dividing its western and eastern sides. The Alpes and Appennines are right behind the coast.
We are an extended, proudly Ligurian family. Surf and turf, eastern and western: we cover all the bases.

Our western side descends from Giovanni Fabbrizii, an entrepreneur from Genoa whose business flourished during the early 1900s.
Our eastern side has been in Val d’Aveto, a lush paradise in Chiavari’s inland, since the 1600s.
Both families have a history tied to liqueur making.
Created and commercialized with great success by Giovanni Fabbrizii, coffee and liqueur creator, and owner of an elegant liberty-style café in Sestri Ponente (Genoa), where the city’s high society would meet to show off.
Homemade and enjoyed among friends and family in the four centuries old Fugazzi mansion that has always hosted great gatherings and banquets in Val d’Aveto.

My name is Laura, and I’m Giovanni’s proud great granddaughter. I’ve grown up hearing about this enlightened entrepreneur and inventor of various recipes, among which a famous bitter and an aperitif, which he would ship to all Italian regions and to several aristocratic households.

I finally tasted his “digestive tonic liqueur” that had made my family so proud when I found a long-lost parcel in a chest of drawers: inside there was a notebook with his handwritten formulas, the original labels, and the letters of praise he had received from his clients.
It immediately became clear to me that it was time to bring his creations back to the public and give everyone the chance to enjoy this local excellence that went out of production in 1940.

My name is Giorgio, and I was raised in Val d’Aveto. I remember when my uncle Silvio would say: “Put this in, you’ll see how good it is”, and give my mother a root that he’d made me dig up in the woods while we looked for mushrooms.
Our family has always produced liqueurs of all kinds with berries, herbs, barks, roots and flowers gathered near our home. I grew up having large get-togethers over the weekends, with all our friends coming over to have a glass of our homemade Prugnolo, Erba Luisa, Limoncello and Nocino.

My name is Fabrizio, and I have a great passion for both liqueurs and Val d’Aveto, the valley where I grew up exploring fields and forests.
Like Laura and my father Giorgio, I am an engineer: we all have a natural inclination for research, organization and making things work smoothly.

I personally take care of Nuovo Liquorificio Fabbrizii in Val d’Aveto, because our project goes beyond the bottle: we want the whole world to get to know this incredible place in the Ligurian inland.
I am also following the renovations of a beautiful liberty-style villa across the street from our shop that will become a boutique hotel of great charm: its tower, embellished by an iconic window, can be seen from almost anywhere in the valley, a symbol of an elegance that takes us back to Giovanni Fabbrizii’s famous early 1900s café.

My name is Serena, and I am Fabrizio’s wife. Thanks to his family I’ve been able to taste, breath and live the valley for the past 10 years, especially in the summer, when we love to be away from the city, being in nature and enjoying good food.
The moment my son Riccardo was born I decided to dedicate myself to this project, because I too strongly believe in the valley’s great potential.
Every time we have invited friends to spend a few days with us they all loved it, and they all wanted to come back as soon as possible: for a vacation, a long weekend, a simple Sunday spent in nature.
I can envision the way the valley can be a meeting point for young people, parents: whomever loves to respectfully observe wildlife and take long walks with dogs, whomever would like to spend a weekend hiking through grass or snow.

My name is Giovanna, I’m from the eastern side Ligury and I feel very close to Val d’Aveto. I met the Fugazzi family years ago thanks to basketball, our common passion both as players and as fans.
Every day I rediscover our team spirit in the Liquorificio project, that that I feel is also mine. I think we can do great things by bringing our experience and dedication to the valley, and I can’t wait for everyone to try our pride and joy, Amaro Fabbrizii, and of course all the specialties we will produce.

My name is Marco, I live in Recco, a waterfront town in the eastern side of Ligury; I’ve always loved hiking in the mountains and that brought me to Val d’Aveto and its entrancing natural beauty.
I met my teammates years ago via playing basketball, and when they asked me to work with them on this ambitious project I didn’t think twice, especially after tasting Amaro Fabbrizii for the first time. If I close my eyes, a single sip takes me back to the sweet smells of woods and dew.

So, when you have a glass of Fabbrizii, you’re not only enjoying a special product, made just like back then: you are living and breathing the magnificent Val d’Aveto.