Page 82 - IAADFS Summit 2023 Special Edition

INSIDER

Amázzoni converted a Colonial building on a 17th Century coffee farm into the first gin distillery in Brazil and since then the brand
has gone on to win global awards and to become the most widely sold craft gin in Brazil.

Amázzoni Gin: capturing the essence of Brazil in a bottle

Amázzoni, the award-winning Brazilian ingredients never explored before preserve the Amazon forest.”
premium gin being introduced to travel as botanical principles in a gin. In addition Since then Isola says he has been
retail at the Summit of the Americas to the more traditional elements of Juniper doing his part to support an indigenous
through Duty Free Global this year, berries, laurel, lemon, coriander, tangerine tribe with whom he developed a
is a 100% Brazilian product from its and pink pepper, Amázzoni features relationship. In addition, to make his recipe
ingredients to its manufacturing. first-time ingredients from the heart of really unique, and to understand Brazil
“Amázzoni, which today is the most the Amazon rainforest: cocoa, Brazil nut, through its eco-system, he started testing
widely sold craft gin in Brazil, was the first maxixe, victoria regia, and cipò cravo, says botanicals sourced straight from the rain
Brazilian gin,” explains its creator, Arturo Isola, making it distinctly different and forest, to see how they reacted with the
Isola. “It is produced in a distillery located distinctly Brazilian. alcohol.
on an 18th century coffee farm located in Ironically, Amázzoni was originally “This became an amazing experience.
the Paraíba Valley, Rio de Janeiro State. We created in a 5-liter glass still in Isola’s It took many tries, many changes in
converted it especially for gin production, kitchen in Rio de Janeiro. An architect by direction, but when the recipe was finally
making it the first exclusive gin distillery in training, Isola was living and working in ready, it was perfect for me, because it
Brazil and the largest craft gin distillery in Brazil for six years when – missing the represented Brazil so well: diversity,
Latin America.” Negroni he enjoyed in Italy – he tried to liberality, informality, joy -- a continent.
Amázzoni Rio Negro was awarded a make his own gin. I felt that I had successfully introduced
Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco “So one year and a half, every all these characteristics into the liquid. So
World Spirits Competition in 2019, and weekend, I became ‘the little Italian finally –a Brazilian gin!”
was named the Best World Craft Producer alchemist,’ distilling one batch after At that time, there were no gins in
of the Year at the World Gin Awards in another. My friends all offered to be official Brazil, he said. “Brazil was not part of the
London in 2018 -- the only Latin American tasters. global crusade for gin consumption.”
distillery to ever win this accolade, reports “But gin is all about botanicals and so “But creating this new gin moved me,
Isola. my family and I started journeying through although it was still a hobby. But we were
“We are artisanal, local and Brazil, hunting new ingredients, especially only making it in a 5-liter glass still. Would
independent,” he proudly tells TMI. in the Amazon forest. It was there I had it work when made in a professional still?”
Amázzoni also brings together five the call to do something actively to help Isola started looking around Rio at the

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