A story of spirits

NUETER (US)

From generation to generation.

170 years of history. 170 years of traditions, of recipes handed down, of typical and local products, of alcoholic infusions and syrups that have arrived on the Italians’ tables from the centre of Sassuolo. The historic Roteglia distillery was founded in 1848 in the centre of Emilia, by a family of Swiss origins, skilled in the trade of spices, in the preparation of spirits and in the production of handcrafted liqueurs. From its origins to today, the distillery has gone through history to reach us. In 2018, our lucky meeting: on the streets of Sassuolo there was a rumour that the Roteglia family wanted to sell the distillery, a small production company hidden within the town, among enormous buildings and streets full of trendy shops. So why not take on this adventure and start dealing with the production and sale of handcrafted liqueurs? Thus Roteglia 1848 arose, which today carries on the business under the protective wing of our mentor, Lorenzo Roteglia, who from the height of his experience as a liqueurist passed us the original recipes and dispenses advice on working as a craftsman. Today in our spirits factory we dedicate care and attention to the selection of ingredients and we invest time in the individual production steps. Without chasing fashions, we continue to produce distillates and liqueurs from the past, picking up old recipes from the more than 100 infusions that were produced. We believe in family traditions and routines and we try to bring back ancient products that are still part of our cultural fabric. Without history we would not be here!
Roteglia 1848 - Opificio in Sassuolo - Digestive and confectionery liqueurs
historical photo liquor factory Roteglia 1848

The factory

Our handcrafted liqueur production workshop is spread over two levels, in 140 metres. It is a small space that has remained unchanged over the years just like the tools we still use today. Our hands, our taste and our mind are fundamental: we operate according to a handcrafted method where the only technologies we apply are rather dated mixers and a single-spout bottling machine. Each liqueur is made by adding the ingredients individually, letting the infusion rest for the time necessary, allowing us to produce just one liqueur at a time. To carry on our business of producing and selling handcrafted liqueurs, the selection of ingredients is always of the highest quality, starting with the Buongusto Alcohol that we use, deriving from the distillation of cereals, considered to be that of the highest quality. Spices, aromatic and botanical herbs are chosen with the same care, also working directly on the extraction of essential oils. We fill each bottle individually and the entire preparation process from capping to labelling is still done by hand.

Our history

1848
THE FIRST STEPS

Our historic distillery, today Roteglia 1848, and the adjoining shop in the centre of the Municipality of Sassuolo, was founded in 1848. The origins are due to the Muggia family, of Swiss origin: for about a century, in fact, the Duchy of Modena and Reggio had been a favourite destination for immigrants from the Canton of Grisons. They were the first to try their hand at the spice trade, distillation and production of handcrafted liqueurs.

1927
THE ROTEGLIA BRAND APPEARS

In managing the business, the Muggia family was followed first by Vincenzo Vaccari, then by the brothers Filippo and Umberto Marazzi. In 1927, one of the two Marazzi brothers decided to invest his energy in the nascent ceramic industry, creating one of the most important groups in the sector. Emilio Roteglia bought the historic distillery and the shop with a thousand Lire, starting to deal with the production and sale of handcrafted liqueurs.

1960
NOCINO AS A DIGESTIVE TONIC

Among the peculiarities of the liqueur factory there has always been Nocino which, among well-known liqueurs and spirits, is one of the most representative products of the area. For the Nocino there is direct acknowledgement in the Italian Encyclopaedic Dictionary, founded by Giovanni Treccani: “Liqueur flavoured with fresh walnut husks and other herbs and spices, a speciality of Sassuolo (Modena).” In the 1960s, the Premiata Distilleria Liquori di Gilberto Roteglia could promote it as a “digestive tonic”, specifying that “due to the properties of its components, it facilitates digestion and tones up the body”.
Nocino bottle - artisanal liqueurs for sale
Star Anise - Distillates and Liqueurs
cask liqueur nocino
liqueur glass
Modenese tradition of producing artisanal liqueurs

1900
THE SASSOLINO COMES OUT OF SASSUOLO

Sassolino originated in this town at the beginning of the 1800s even if its name seems to date back to the early 1900s, when the official students of the Military School of Modena frequented Piazza Garibaldi and tasted with pleasure this sweet star anise-based liqueur. It was they who spread its fame throughout Italy which continued even after the Great War, so much so that distilleries were among the driving forces of the Sassuolo economy in the First Post-War period. Sassolino was served as an aperitif, in a small and thick glass. Today, thanks to our production of handcrafted liqueurs, several versions can be found under the Roteglia 1848 brand: those for desserts with low alcohol content and the 42° one to drink called “Sassuolino”.

1949
FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION

From 1949 the historic distillery passed from father to son, from Emilio Roteglia to Gilberto, up to Lorenzo. The production of handcrafted liqueurs becomes a family tradition that has allowed us to maintain the traditional recipes and the entrepreneurial spirit that have brought not just a liqueur but also a cultural heritage to the present day.

2018
LOVE FOR TRADITION

By chance or luck in 2018 we stumbled upon the news that the Roteglia family wanted to sell the historic family distillery. So three people from Sassuolo like us, strongly linked to traditions,  decided to buy the distillery in 2018 and to found the company Roteglia 1848. In addition to the desire to continue the business through the use of recipes handed down, ours was an act of love for the traditions of the town, so as to carry on the production of high quality handcrafted liqueurs in the name of genuine flavour.

1848
THE FIRST STEPS

Our historic distillery, today Roteglia 1848, and the adjoining shop in the centre of the Municipality of Sassuolo, was founded in 1848. The origins are due to the Muggia family, of Swiss origin: for about a century, in fact, the Duchy of Modena and Reggio had been a favourite destination for immigrants from the Canton of Grisons. They were the first to try their hand at the spice trade, distillation and production of handcrafted liqueurs.
Nocino bottle - artisanal liqueurs for sale
Star Anise - Distillates and Liqueurs

1900
THE SASSOLINO COMES OUT OF SASSUOLO

Sassolino originated in this town at the beginning of the 1800s even if its name seems to date back to the early 1900s, when the official students of the Military School of Modena frequented Piazza Garibaldi and tasted with pleasure this sweet star anise-based liqueur. It was they who spread its fame throughout Italy which continued even after the Great War, so much so that distilleries were among the driving forces of the Sassuolo economy in the First Post-War period. Sassolino was served as an aperitif, in a small and thick glass. Today, thanks to our production of handcrafted liqueurs, several versions can be found under the Roteglia 1848 brand: those for desserts with low alcohol content and the 42° one to drink called “Sassuolino”.

1927
THE ROTEGLIA BRAND APPEARS

In managing the business, the Muggia family was followed first by Vincenzo Vaccari, then by the brothers Filippo and Umberto Marazzi. In 1927, one of the two Marazzi brothers decided to invest his energy in the nascent ceramic industry, creating one of the most important groups in the sector. Emilio Roteglia bought the historic distillery and the shop with a thousand Lire, starting to deal with the production and sale of handcrafted liqueurs.
cask liqueur nocino
liqueur glass

1949
FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION

From 1949 the historic distillery passed from father to son, from Emilio Roteglia to Gilberto, up to Lorenzo. The production of handcrafted liqueurs becomes a family tradition that has allowed us to maintain the traditional recipes and the entrepreneurial spirit that have brought not just a liqueur but also a cultural heritage to the present day.

1960
NOCINO AS A DIGESTIVE TONIC

Among the peculiarities of the liqueur factory there has always been Nocino which, among well-known liqueurs and spirits, is one of the most representative products of the area. For the Nocino there is direct acknowledgement in the Italian Encyclopaedic Dictionary, founded by Giovanni Treccani: “Liqueur flavoured with fresh walnut husks and other herbs and spices, a speciality of Sassuolo (Modena).” In the 1960s, the Premiata Distilleria Liquori di Gilberto Roteglia could promote it as a “digestive tonic”, specifying that “due to the properties of its components, it facilitates digestion and tones up the body”.
Modenese tradition of producing artisanal liqueurs

2018
LOVE FOR TRADITION

By chance or luck in 2018 we stumbled upon the news that the Roteglia family wanted to sell the historic family distillery. So three people from Sassuolo like us, strongly linked to traditions,  decided to buy the distillery in 2018 and to found the company Roteglia 1848. In addition to the desire to continue the business through the use of recipes handed down, ours was an act of love for the traditions of the town, so as to carry on the production of high quality handcrafted liqueurs in the name of genuine flavour.

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