GENOA 17 February 2023 ecoSPIRITS has expanded into the Italian market, appointing one of the country’s leading independent spirits distributors and producers, Velier SpA, as its Licensed Operator. Together, the partners have set up a new joint venture, eS Operator Italy SpA, to bring closed loop spirits to the Italian market starting this month. A range of spirits will be available in low waste ecoTOTE™ format immediately, including Portofino Dry Gin, Hampden Estate Jamaican Rum, Clairin Communal Rum from Haiti, Yaguara Cachaça and Los Arcos Destilado de Agave. With this latest market launch, ecoSPIRITS’ European network now covers the region’s four largest economies: Germany, United Kingdom, France, Italy.
Portofino Dry Gin, which is made using local botanicals from the picturesque town of Portofino, will be one of the first brands available in ecoTOTE™ format.
As the fourth largest economy in Europe and the fourth largest hospitality sector in the world, Italy is a natural extension of ecoSPIRITS’ global closed loop network. The country attracts 94 million foreign tourists each year and it has a reputation for some of the world’s finest food and drink, along with a vibrant hospitality scene. Having made aggressive commitments for tackling climate change, including a plan to cut carbon emissions by 60% by 2030, Italy is also the first country in the world to make sustainability and the climate crisis compulsory subjects at school.
Italy has a vibrant hospitality scene and attracts millions of tourists each year.
Led by industry icon Luca Gargano since 1983, and with a history stretching back more than 70 years, Velier SpA is one of the world’s most respected independent spirits and wine distributors, serving nearly 12,000 hospitality and retail customers across Italy. In addition to a wide-ranging portfolio of more than 200 leading artisanal wines and spirits, Velier is the exclusive Italian importer for William Grant & Sons, Edrington and SPI Group. It is also the sole importer for a selection of brands from Brown Forman and the Sazerac Company. Velier has a history of pioneering innovation in Italy. In 1991, it brought Latin American white spirits – cachaça, pisco, and mezcal – to the Italian market for the first time. Under Gargano’s leadership, the group became renowned worldwide for its own bottlings of fine rum, including the legendary Caroni releases.
Velier SpA has a wide-ranging portfolio, which includes its own bottlings of the legendary Caroni rum.
Luca Gargano, CEO, Velier SpA
“I am very proud to bring ecoSPIRITS’ circular spirits packaging technology to Italy. The Italians have a long and deep history with spirits production and enjoyment. Italian consumers are very sophisticated, and always on the lookout for new and amazing products. Furthermore, there is a nationwide commitment to working towards a sustainable future: there is a genuine thirst for sustainable solutions across the industry. ecoSPIRITS’ innovative closed loop technology tackles numerous waste and supply chain problems, while providing an elegant serve to enjoy.”
Iain McPherson, Sales Director, Europe, ecoSPIRITS
“We have long admired Velier’s reputation for innovation and quality and after we were introduced to Luca by our partners in ecoSPIRITS France, La Maison du Whisky, the rest was history, as they say. We have worked closely with Luca and his team for the past year and could not be more excited to now launch a platform for closed loop spirits together. We have a shared vision of a sustainable future in the Italian spirits market, and have the joint expertise and resources to help bring about that vision.”
In the first phase of the launch, ecoSPIRITS Italy will offer a range of spirits in ecoTOTE format, from the Velier and the La Maison & Velier portfolios. These include:
Hampden Pure Single Jamaican Rum
Founded in 1753, Hampden Estate has been distilling rum for almost three centuries in the Trelawny Parish, the ‘grand cru’ of Jamaican rum. Hampden Estate rum has a distinct and iconic aromatic profile, aged for eight years in the tropical Jamaican climate.
Portofino Dry Gin
Produced in an antique Italian Distillery, Portofino Dry Gin features 21 botanicals, which are carefully selected for their natural aromatic properties. Juniper, lemons, lavender, rosemary, marjoram, sage, iris, and rose are organically grown on the Portofino hills and combined with locally handpicked ingredients.
Clairin Communal Rum
Clairin is a traditional Haitian rum-style spirit made using native varieties of sugarcane. The spirit is artisanal in nature, with farming free from pesticides, while fermentation is spontaneous, and distillation is traditional and unfiltered.
Los Arcos Destilado de Agave
Los Arcos celebrates the traditional production processes of tequila by using ancestral tools and methods to showcase Blue Weber Agave in its best form. Los Arcos uses only mature agave to deliver a structured, full-flavoured agave profile. It is designed to be ideal for cocktails and for sipping.
Yaguara Cachaça
This small batch Brazilian artisanal cachaca is based on the Menaghel family’s traditional recipe, which has been followed for five generations. Using handcut organic sugarcane, the spirit is fermented with local yeast and rested for 10 months. A perfect base for the Brazilian classic cocktail, the Caipirinha.
In the first phase of the launch, ecoSPIRITS Italy will offer a range of spirits in ecoTOTE format, from the Velier and the La Maison & Velier portfolios. These include:
Hampden Pure Single Jamaican Rum
Founded in 1753, Hampden Estate has been distilling rum for almost three centuries in the Trelawny Parish, the ‘grand cru’ of Jamaican rum. Hampden Estate rum has a distinct and iconic aromatic profile, aged for eight years in the tropical Jamaican climate.
Portofino Dry Gin
Produced in an antique Italian Distillery, Portofino Dry Gin features 21 botanicals, which are carefully selected for their natural aromatic properties. Juniper, lemons, lavender, rosemary, marjoram, sage, iris, and rose are organically grown on the Portofino hills and combined with locally handpicked ingredients.
Clairin Communal Rum
Clairin is a traditional Haitian rum-style spirit made using native varieties of sugarcane. The spirit is artisanal in nature, with farming free from pesticides, while fermentation is spontaneous, and distillation is traditional and unfiltered.
Los Arcos Destilado de Agave
Los Arcos celebrates the traditional production processes of tequila by using ancestral tools and methods to showcase Blue Weber Agave in its best form. Los Arcos uses only mature agave to deliver a structured, full-flavoured agave profile. It is designed to be ideal for cocktails and for sipping.
Yaguara Cachaça
This small batch Brazilian artisanal cachaca is based on the Menaghel family’s traditional recipe, which has been followed for five generations. Using handcut organic sugarcane, the spirit is fermented with local yeast and rested for 10 months. A perfect base for the Brazilian classic cocktail, the Caipirinha.
Portofino Dry Gin (left to right) Chris Egger, CMO and co-founder; Ruggero Raymo, CEO and co-founder; Jack Savoretti, partner; Alessandro Briola, COO and co-founder
“We are thrilled to be part of this initiative with Velier and our dear friend Luca Gargano, who introduced us to the ecoSPIRITS vision. When we first talked about this project, we were fascinated by the innovative nature of ecoSPIRITS’ sustainable technology. It corresponds precisely with our ambition to reduce our ecological footprint while meeting our quality standards. The ecoTOTE system developed by ecoSPIRITS is a milestone in the spirits industry and we look forward to seeing it spread across Italy.”
Closed loop service will first be made available in northern Italy and key cities across the country, supported by ecoPLANT No. 021 in Genoa. Over the course of 2023, ecoTOTE distribution will be expanded to additional regions in Italy. The host company for ecoPLANT No. 021 is AZ Servizi & Logistica, a third-party logistics and warehouse business for packaged and bulk goods, which is located in northern Italy. As the ecoPLANT host company, AZ Servici & Logistica provides licensed premises for the ecoPLANT site, as well as experienced production staffing and quality control systems.
For more information about ecoSPIRITS Italy, please contact ecoSPIRITS’ Sales Director for Europe, Iain McPherson on [email protected]. Bars, restaurants, hotels, distributors, and brands that are interested in joining the ecoSPIRITS’ Climate Partner program in Italy may contact Fabrizio Galliano via email at [email protected]. For more information about ecoSPIRITS, please contact Sonya Hook, Senior PR Manager, ecoSPIRITS, on [email protected].
About Velier
Velier is a historic family business from Genoa, Italy, that is active in the import and distribution of spirits, liqueurs and wines. Founded in 1947, it has developed a reputation for the quality, passion, and conviviality behind each of its products and its people. A world leader in the rum sector thanks to the tireless discovery work of President Luca Gargano, Velier has also been a forerunner in launching the natural wine movement. As early as 2003, the ‘Triple A’ protocol saw the light of day: producers who are ‘Farmers, Artisans, Artists’, in absolute harmony with Velier’s values: quality and authenticity. Among the more than 200 imported brands are Caroni, Bally, Clairin, Neisson, Hampden rums; Macallan, Glenfiddich, Balvenie, Nikka, Buffalo Trace whiskies; Hendrick’s Gin, Stolichnaya Vodka, Rooster Rojo, Fortaleza and Alipus agaves, Billecart champagne, Chartreuse liqueur, and Fever Tree soft drinks.
For information, please visit https://www.velier.it/it/
About ecoSPIRITS
ecoSPIRITS is a circular economy technology company that has developed the world’s first low carbon, low waste distribution technology for premium spirits and wine. Our patent-pending closed loop system nearly eliminates all packaging waste in the supply chain. By dramatically reducing packaging and transport, ecoSPIRITS provides both a powerful cost advantage and a transformative carbon footprint reduction. Founded in Singapore in 2018, the ecoSPIRITS technology is now available in more than 15 countries across Asia Pacific,Europe and the Americas. More than 1,500 leading bars, restaurants and hotels have adopted the technology, including Michelin-starred restaurants, World’s 50 Best and Asia’s 50 Best bars and iconic hotels. ecoSPIRITS is now rapidly building a global network of closed loop service, with coverage to grow to 25 countries worldwide by early 2023. Together with our brand partners, importers, distributors, wholesalers and venues, we are already making a difference. Each year, ecoSPIRITS and our partners are eliminating thousands of tons of single use glass waste, planting tens of thousands of trees, and inspiring others to change.
For information, please visit www.ecospirits.global