The first time I spoke with Gabriele Persichetti of Anonima Distillazioni, he told me that it all began by chance, glancing at the back label of one of the most well-known gins on the market and discovering that the juniper used was of Italian origin. But that’s not all—apparently, the finest juniper grows along the Tuscan-Umbria Apennines.
That’s when the spark ignited, setting off a research journey that led to the discovery of Aquamirabilis. Initially a medicinal recipe, then a fragrance, and finally a formula revived by Anonima Distillazioni for their London Dry Gin.
The distillery is the kind of place you walk into and never want to leave. One might expect alcohol to be the main focus, but I feel confident in saying that the true protagonists are the aromas.
I begin my journey among countless drawers filled with spices and sacks brimming with intensely fragrant botanicals. My attention is inevitably drawn to a sack of juniper, overflowing with plump, juicy, flavorful berries. A scent I expect to find again in their distillates.
But Anonima Distillazioni is not just about gin. It is, in fact, a distillery born from a spirit of research and experimentation. Vodka, spiced rum, vermouth and amari, but also bespoke distillates and prototype bottles that you find in every corner of the distillery. It almost feels like stepping into a kitchen with a chef entirely at your disposal…
A company born out of passion, driven by a constant desire to explore, defined by great craftsmanship and by the versatility made possible by their artisanal still—the true pride of the distillery. One of the few manual stills of this kind currently in Italy. A fully manual still in which botanicals are used through steam infusion, rather than other methods.
In their gins, each with its own style, I find what I had sensed earlier from the sacks of botanicals, but also much more—above all, a great deal of their passion. In every bottle, I discover something different, unconventional, intriguing. Yet, unlike many “highly artisanal” producers, I also find an extraordinary attention to detail in the choice of names, labels, bottles, packaging—everything that passes before my eyes.
And yet, those of Anonima Distillazioni are aromas that must be experienced, not simply described…
