Varnelli Distillery is an Italian family-run business that specializes in the production and distribution of alcoholic beverages. Varnelli is the first distillery in the Marche region to obtain a license for the transformation of alcoholic products, the UTIF License No. 1.
History
The first activities of the Varnelli Distillery officially began in 1868 in Cupi, a hamlet in the municipality of Visso, founded by Girolamo Varnelli, a herbalist from the Marche region knowledgeable about the medicinal plants of the Sibillini Mountains and monastic life. After consulting with doctors from Florence, Girolamo created the first product, Amaro Sibilla, made from gentiana lutea, quinine, and other local medicinal plants, initially developed as an anti-malarial and antipyretic remedy for shepherds who practiced transhumance between the Sibillini Mountains and Maremma. After Girolamo, his son Antonio took over in the early 20th century, moving the distillery to Pievebovigliana and adding new products, such as the Varnelli, special dry anise, a distillate based on the classic Marche recipe for mistrà. He also commissioned labels from various artists, including Adolfo De Carolis for Amaro Sibilla, Achille Beltrame for the punches, and Lazzaro Lazzarini.
Antonio was succeeded by his son Girolamo, who dedicated nearly 30 years, from the 1940s to the 1970s, to promoting the distillery in society. During these years, the Varnelli brand adopted the slogan “Sovereign corrective of coffee” and won its first award in 1950 in Rome as the “best product of its kind.” After earning a degree in Economics and Commerce in 1949 from the University of Perugia with a thesis on advertising, and becoming a herbalist after studying at the University of Camerino, Girolamo modernized the company by setting standards for attention to staff and safety, product quality (refusing non-natural food colorants and preservatives, fully adhering to legal provisions), training new workers, and introducing new equipment. The distillery was also the first in Pievebovigliana to have a telephone with night service, which the local carabinieri used in case of emergency. Furthermore, Girolamo contributed to bringing the first fuel pumps and road signs to Pievebovigliana while simultaneously investing in local businesses.
In 1988, the distillery became a joint-stock company, and in 1996 it was moved to Muccia. The company remains owned by the Varnelli family and is currently managed by four women, representing the fourth generation, after Girolamo’s death in 1975.
On March 22, 2003, the Municipality of Muccia named the street where the plant is located after Girolamo Varnelli. On June 9, 2006, the Cingoli Hotel Institute dedicated their building to him, and on the occasion of the centenary of his birth (August 2, 2014), the Municipality of Pievebovigliana named a park after him. In 2014 and 2015, the distillery expanded to the U.S.-Canadian market, and during its 150th anniversary (2018), the distillery created a cocktail called centocinquanta to celebrate the company’s most famous products, Amaro Sibilla and Varnelli.
After the 2016 and 2017 Central Italy earthquakes, the distillery and Caffè Varnelli underwent structural checks, causing a break in production of about a month. Production resumed in December, mainly driven by a marketing initiative from the company.