The Nonino family is one of Italy’s most iconic grappa distillers, and their Amaro Nonino is the gold standards for bartenders and cocktail aficionados around the world. Terlato approached us to help launch an all new Nonino product to the North American market: L’Aperitivo Nonino Botanical Drink. This product would be a new entrant into a red-hot category that included brands like Aperol, Campari, St. Germain and others that were riding a wave of “spritz” culture into the American zeitgeist.
This product had several distinct “functional” advantages. It was all natural, highly versatile, and premium quality, but we wanted to dig deeper to uncover the story of the brand. It turns out, the original recipe was created by the very first female distiller in Italy, handed down through the family, and ultimately revived by her granddaughters who now head the Nonino Distillery. Talk about authentically Italian! We created an ad campaign and sales collateral to launch the brand. We grabbed onto the product’s unique golden yellow hue to create a distinct and ownable brand expression, with messaging that highlights the brand’s pedigree and storied history.
The art of distillation has been a Nonino Family privilege since 1897.
The original L’Aperitivo Nonino was created by Silvia Milocco—the first woman to produce grappa in Italy—and it was available only in the distillery. She infused Nonino’s famed distillate with flowers, herbs, roots and fruits that grow on and around the family estate in Friuli to create a refreshing and unique aperitivo.
Decades later, Silvia’s granddaughters—Cristina, Antonella and Elisabetta Nonino—have resurrected and updated her recipe, and proudly share it with the world.
Crafted from 100% natural ingredients, using artisanal distillation techniques, L’Aperitivo Nonino is a testament to the infinite variability of nature, the energy of Italian sunshine, and the joy of a toast.