About the Producer:
Santa Maria al Monte is a beloved name in Italian liqueurs. It is rumored that the Sanctuary of Madonna del Monte in Genoa gifted a sacred herbal recipe for the “miraculous elixir of Santa Maria” to the Duke of Aosta. His chef, Vicenzo Castrovillari, developed the recipe into an amaro and began producing it for the public in Sampierdarena (now a part of Genoa), receiving a patent for his product in 1892. Amaro Santa Maria al Monte quickly garnered international acclaim, and it was notoriously lauded by the director of the Medical Clinic of the University of Genoa as being “superior to fernet.”
In the early 1900s, the brand was purchased by established Ligurian liqueur maker Nicola Vignale, and for three generations, the Vignale family preserved this Genoese specialty. Now owned and produced by Gruppo Caffo, the amaro and liqueurs of Santa Maria al Monte are made with the same recipes and methods that have made them Italian household and bar staples for well over a century.
About the Liqueur:
The century-old “S. Maria al Monte” tonic liquor is prepared with an ancient formula passed down from generation to generation. Legend has it that the Monks of the S.Maria al Monte Convent gave a precious scroll - that we have now in our hands - containing the recipe of the “Miraculous Lissire Santa Maria” to the eclectic Vincenzo Castrovillari.
In 24 February 1892, he had the honor of receiving - along with Patent no. 793 - the title of Honorary Supplier of His Royal Highness, Prince Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia, who authorized him to decorate his workshop with the Ducal coat of arms. The tonic liquor was produced by the Vignales for three generations, preserving this ancient Genovese recipe to the present day.
The dosage and characteristics of the over thirty ingredients are strictly observed by carefully checking the herbs, along with a processing and ageing period of almost one year and a half. The cold infusion of ground herbs, rhizomes, flowers, roots, bark, seeds, resins and leaves takes almost two months and guarantees the extraction of the best parts of curative plants. After eight months of aging, the mixture obtained is combined with alcohol and sugar, and after an additional six months of ageing, a 40 alcohol-degree tonic liquor, with a full and smooth taste, is obtained, famous for its perfectly harmonized aromas and its digestive properties, which make it unique. An exceptional, intense and well-balanced tonic liquor, to enjoy alone or on ice at the end of a meal, and perfect to spike coffee.
