Molinari

Molinari - from perfume to liqueur

Molinari Sambuca was founded by Angelo Molinari in Civitavecchia, Italy in 1945. Molinari, a perfumer by trade, developed Molinari Sambuca Extra, a liqueur made from star anise. Soon, with the help of his children Marcello and Mafalda, he was able to place the drink on the menus of restaurants on Rome's prestigious Via Veneto. The Molinaris used the connections to promote their product with world stars. Those beginnings have not been forgotten: In Rome today, you'll find Terrazza Molinari, a rooftop restaurant serving Mediterranean cuisine with Molinari cocktails all day long.

The success of Molinari

The success was so resounding that by 1974 the Molinaris were able to open their second factory in Colfelice. In 1975 Angelo Molinari died and Marcello, Mafalda and their brother Antonio took over the business. In the 80s, the export business flourished, and the Sambuca was soon represented all over the world. An advertising slogan of the time was "Wherever you go, Molinari is there". In 2003, Molinari Caffé followed, a refinement of Sambuca with coffee, a recipe conceived long ago but never put into practice until then. In 2017, they updated the famous sambuca bottle for the first time to make it a little more in tune with contemporary tastes. In 2020, they also celebrated their 75th anniversary with a special edition of the drink.

A large part of Molinari's success can be traced back to the effective advertising strategy that the family pursued from the very beginning. They started in the restaurants and lived on word of mouth, but with the advent of television, they were able to place commercials in the programs at an early stage, so that the awareness of the brand grew steadily. 

In 2006, the Molinari Foundation was created by Mafalda, which was dedicated to promoting scientific initiatives. Since 2015, they have changed the purpose of the foundation so that it now supports disadvantaged children.

Production of Molinari Sambuca

The basic ingredient for Sambuca is star anise, an evergreen tropical plant. Oils are extracted from the seeds, which are then mixed with alcohol, sugar syrup and a secret blend of herbs and spices to make the famous drink. The Molinaris are moving with the times, the factories are completely set up for sustainable production and are, for example, supplied with their own electricity.