The history of the Caffo’s family business dates back to the end of the nineteenth century, when Giuseppe Caffo began distilling pomace on the side of volcanic Mount Etna. After years of experience managing distilleries, he bought an old distillery in Santa Venerina, Sicily, in 1915. He fully dedicated himself to his passion and passed his knowledge along to his children. Giuseppe’s son, Sebastiano Caffo, soon became a Master Distiller himself, and together they founded Fratelli Caffo with Sebastiano’s brother, Santo Caffo. Initially, Caffo produced a small range of spirits distilled from grapes, primarily brandy and grappa. Gradually, they began producing liqueurs and classic Italian spirits such as amaro, limoncello, amaretto, and sambuca, all from time-honored recipes painstakingly researched and reformulated by the brothers. After expanding their business, Fratelli Caffo established a new home in Limbadi, Calabria. In this part of Italy, known for its production of red wine, raw materials and resources for local distilling are abundant. Caffo sources many of the botanicals used in production from their own estate farms, as well as from local Calabrian farms and foragers. While respecting the traditional, artisanal techniques of the company, the Caffo brothers have made fundamental innovations to distillation processes and equipment over the years, leading to the construction of a new production plant beside the old distillery in Limbadi. Additionally, they acquired an existing distillery in Udine renowned for artisanal grappa production, and most recently, established Liquirizia Caffo in Vibo Valentia, which specializes in Calabrian licorice liqueur. Today, Gruppo Caffo is run by Giuseppe Giovanni and his son Sebastian, who have maintained a family legacy of Master Distillers four generations old while expanding Fratalli Caffo to its international presence as Gruppo Caffo. For over a century, Caffo’s approach has remained unchanged, driven by local ingredients and agriculture combined with the heart of Italian tradition and an artisan’s spirit!
