Girolamo Luxardo S.p.A. is an Italian liqueur factory. Founded in Zadar, it moved to Torreglia near Padua after 1945.
The company's current products include a variety of liqueurs and similar products (Maraschino, Sangue Morlacco, Sambuca, Amaretto, Grappa, Passione Nera, Slivovitz, Luxardo Fernet, etc.) as well as other baking related products, such as liqueur concentrates, fruit syrups, and jams. Luxardo products are sold in about 70 countries worldwide. The distillery employs approximately 45 people, as well as roughly 100 salespeople throughout Italy. The 6800 m2 distillery is capable of producing 6,000 bottles per hour. In 2010, it produced a pre-tax profit of €16 million.[1]
History
The firm was founded in 1821 by Girolamo Luxardo in the city of Zadar, Kingdom of Dalmatia. Luxardo had moved to Zadar with his family in 1817, as the consular representative of the Kingdom of Sardinia. His wife (Maria Canevari) produced liqueurs at home, specializing in "rosolio maraschino", a liquor from Dalmatia, and Luxardo founded the distillery to produce Liquore Maraschino.[2] Within eight years of existence, the Luxardo Maraschino was recognized a superior product by the Emperor. By 1839, the Luxardo Maraschino was consumed in overseas New Orleans.
Girolamo Luxardo died in 1865 at age 81, and his son Nicolò took over the business.[3][4]
In 1913 a new distillery was built by Michelangelo Luxardo, who was of the third generation of Luxardos. The distillery was one of the largest in the Austro-Hungarian Empire (maybe the largest distillery in Europe at one time[4]
Marasca cherries
The company owns a line of canned sour marasca cherries, branded Maraschino cherries.[5]
The company owns 22,000 marasca cherry trees in what is the largest cherry orchard in the European Union.[1] It also holds the naming rights to its own marasca variety.[6]
Awards
In 2011 at the New York World Wine and Spirits Competition, the Amaretto di Saschira won double gold and best liqueur in show and the Triplum Triple Sec Orange won double gold and best fruit liqueur in show.[1]
- 2019: gold medal at the International Spirits Challenge[6]
See also
- List of Italian companies
- Girolamo Luxardo (entrepreneur)
External links
References
- Girolamo Luxardo S.p.A. The sip of the century European Business Journal, retrieved 2019-09-04^
- Our History Luxardo S.p.A., retrieved 28 December 2013^
- Girolamo Luxardo SpA Difford's Guide, retrieved 28 December 2013^