About the Producer
Our producer story begins in 1948 when Fernuccio di Bernard established Distilleria dell'Alpe in Bastia d'Alpago, a small hillside village in the sweeping Cansiglio forest of the Eastern Italian Alps. One of the first artisanal producers of Italian gin, Fernuccio deeply understood the traditional nature of spirits, but he was also an innovator and craftsman. Among the many products he created, he patented an enigmatic juniper-based liqueur, Kapriol, commonly known as a Distillato del Bosco or a "distillate of the forest." Authentic, delicious, and undeniably unique, Kapriol became an iconic spirit for the region. In 2002, the Maschio family, historic Prosecco and Grappa producers from the nearby town of Conegliano, purchased Distilleria dell'Alpe with the intention of developing a variety of liqueurs and traditional spirits of the area. They quickly revived the original Kapriol Classico liqueur from 1948, as well as another of de Bernard's signature recipes, the remarkable Rosen Bitter, an aperitivo originally created in 1951. The Rosen Bitter, originally known as Rosa Alpina, was made by distilling and infusing a dozen typical alpine herbs and plants, such as alpine rose and bay leaf. Today, master distiller Alessandro Maschio uses the pot stills from the original distillery to carry out the very recipes and techniques that have been used for three quarters of a century at Distilleria dell'Alpe. Alessandro's son, Francesco—the 3 rd generation to work at the distilleria—is currently in charge of operations. Together, the family guides this historic producer of some of Italy's most iconic spirits, continuing production that showcases local ingredients with strong ties to tradition while also engaging with new products and recipes that will take the family business into the next era.
