On our most recent trip to Italy, we paid a visit to Varnelli, the artisanal distillery whose anisette defines café correto in the Marche. The hour and half long drive drive from Ancona allowed us to take in the beautiful scenery of the Central Apennines including the scenic vistas, glacial valleys, and meadows dotted with pristine lakes and mountain streams that comprise the Sibillini Mountains National Park. We arrived in the “city” of Muccia (population 925), and searched for the “industrial district” only to discover that it consisted of the town’s two commercial buildings- one of which is Varnelli’s elegant and state-the-art headquarters.
The Varnelli story begins with founder Girolamo Varnelli who studied the medicinal plants of his homeland in the heart of the Sibillini Mountains and used them to develop many recipes for distillates and bitters, including Amaro Sibilla (which at the time was valued for its role as an antimalarial and antipyretic drug for its high content of Gentiana Lutea and China Calyssaia). His son Antonio Varnelli proceeded to develop a unique recipe for anisette and create Varnelli which quickly became the hallmark of the Varnelli Distillery and brought fame to the family name.
Since its founding in 1868 by Girolamo Varnelli, the distillery has been constantly managed by the Varnelli family who has strictly followed the same secret recipes, using native herbs, plants, and flavors and traditional production practices. Today four women who comprise its fourth generation: Elda, Gigliola Simonetta, Mari Donatella and Orietta Maria head the company and graciously hosted us.
Our tour of the distillery began with where the spirits are decocted with local herbs, spices, and honeys, over wood-burning fireplace. From the grinding of the ingredients with a mortar and pestle to the fueling of the fire with logs, the entire production process is executed by hand as it has been for over a century. In contrast, our next stop was the immaculate storage and bottling facilitates that benefit from all that modern technology and hygienic practices have to offer.
This seamless integration of tradition and progress defines the Varnelli philosophy. Without deviating from their familial legacy of dedication to craft and local ingredients, they have added innovative products and adopted savvy marketing strategies that have allowed this boutique distillery that produces a mere 5,000 bottles a year to earn worldwide acclaim.
Proponents of a spirits as an important component in not only cocktails, but cuisine and quality of life, they have recently published “Varnelli: Anice da Gustare” a collection of recipes and menus developed by prominent chefs and mixologists that feature Varnelli products in every aspect of a meal.
At the close of our visit, we sampled an exciting array of Varnelli spirits and cocktails and particularly enjoyed the delightful blend of Sprite and Amaro Tonica- a simple and delicious cocktail that we plan to mix up regularly at home!
