Awarded as the Best in World: The Top Honor from Val d'Aveto in London
In a remarkable turn of events, the Fugazzi family, once known for their engineering studio, has transformed into a thriving liquor production company. The transformation began in 2021 when Laura Cabona, a member of the family, discovered an old tin cookie box containing the recipe book and other documents written by her great-grandfather, Giovanni Fabbrizii, in her parents' house.
The box revealed an ancient recipe for Amaro Fabbrizii, a bitter Italian liqueur originally created in the early 1900s by Giovanni, a Ligurian liqueur and coffee maker. The liqueur was well-regarded and supplied to noble houses across Italy but went out of production during the Second World War.
Inspired by the discovery, the Fugazzi family set up a distillery and renovated a building in Rezzoaglio, Italy, to produce the Amaro Fabbrizii according to the original recipe. This led to the establishment of the Nuovo Liquorificio Fabbrizii, now operating in the Val d'Aveto area, where they produce the classic Ligurian liqueurs following the traditional recipes, including the resurrected Amaro Fabbrizii[1].
The reproduction of Amaro Fabbrizii according to the original recipe has been a significant contributor to the company's success. In 2025, the liqueur was crowned the best Amaro of the world at the World Liqueur Awards, winning the gold medal in the Reserve version.
The Fugazzi family's venture into the liquor production industry did not stop at Amaro Fabbrizii. They also created a gin, Gin Rusagni, following the discovery. The gin has also been a significant success, winning the double gold medal in the Reserve variant at the World Liqueur Awards 2025 in the category The fifty best barreled gin, and the silver medal in the traditional version at the World Liqueur Awards 2025 in the category The fifty best gin 1.
The company's success is largely due to its reproduction of traditional recipes and creation of new ones. The Fugazzi family's annual turnover is around 150,000 euros, but they have recently entered the GDO, mainly with Coop, and a bit also with Conad and Gulliver.
Fabrizio Fugazzi, the young entrepreneur and liquor producer at the helm of the company, started from an engineering background with his family. The family's engineering studio was acquired by Mott Macdonald, a large English consulting group, in 2017. However, the allure of the family's liquor production venture proved too strong, and they decided to focus on this new endeavour.
In June 2023, the Fugazzi family will bring Gin Rusagni to the Fancy Food Show in New York (29 June-1 July), hoping to continue their success in the international market.
[1] Source: Nuovo Liquorificio Fabbrizii
- The Fugazzi family, initially renowned for their engineering studio, have transitioned into a prosperous liqueur production business, producing traditional Ligurian liqueurs like Amaro Fabbrizii and creating new ones, such as Gin Rusagni.
- In 2025, Gin Rusagni, another creation of the Fugazzi family, was honored with the double gold medal in the Reserve variant at the World Liqueur Awards in the category of The fifty best barreled gin, and the silver medal in the traditional version at the World Liqueur Awards in the category of The fifty best gin 1.
- The Nuovo Liquorificio Fabbrizii, established by the Fugazzi family, has achieved financial success with an annual turnover of approximately 150,000 euros, and they have recently expanded to the GDO, primarily with Coop, and to some extent with Conad and Gulliver.
- Fabrizio Fugazzi, the leader of the company, started his journey as an engineer in his family's studio before diving into the nostalgic venture of liquor production, which eventually became their primary focus, leading to their current position in the food-and-drink and business sectors.
