Malfy gin with an Italian twist launches in US

Biggar & Leith is launching Malfy, a luxury Italian gin, nationally in the US this month then globally.

Malfy gin is distilled in a family run distillery in Moncalieri, Italy by the Vergnano family. Although the spirit is infused with Italian juniper and five other botanicals it is the infusion of the famous Italian coastal lemons, including some from the Amalfi Coast, that gives Malfy gin it’s fresh and zesty aroma and palate distinguishing it from the more traditional, juniper-heavy gins.

Biggar & Leith claim that despite popular belief that the origins of gin lie in Holland, it is Italy that can lay claim to this most delicious spirit. Along Italy’s Salerno Coast in 1050 AD, Monks blended locally foraged juniper (‘ginepro’, in Italian) with spirit in the Monastery kitchens to create what we now know as gin.

“We were researching the history of gin – and there it was, staring us in the face; gin was invented in Italy – long before the British or Dutch.  However, it wasn’t until we tasted the Vergnano family’s Malfy GQDI that we knew we had found a gin that represents the literal distillation of Italian quality, culture and craftsmanship.  The infusion of the local botanicals and Italian lemons, which themselves have a rich history in Italian culture, give Malfy a distinctive twist.” Says Elwyn Gladstone, founder of Biggar & Leith.

Malfy GQDI (Gin di Qualità Distillato) is packaged in a glass bottle screen-printed with an artistic expression of lemon peels and overlaid with a sea-blue label representative of the Mediterranean.  Malfy’s stopper is crafted from Italian oak.  The gin is distilled in the Vergnano family’s traditional vacuum still and is bottled at 41% ABV. 

Malfy Gin will be distributed in the US commencing this month (March 2016) at an average SRP of approximately US$30 per 75cl (prices vary according to local taxes).  Malfy Gin will also be available in Europe, Australia and a number of other countries in a short time. It is the first Italian gin to be imported into the US. 

Biggar and Leith is an owner and importer of fine spirits from established, family-owned distilleries who are dedicated to innovation and quality. The company searches the globe for brands whose bottles transmit the passion, personality and stories of the people who make them.

14 March 2016 - Felicity Murray The Drinks Report, editor