Italian liquors brand Villa Massa, most famous for it’s limoncello, invited me to it’s hometown of Sorrento to experience first-hand how Villa Massa is made, and to lead a workshop on highballs and long drink cocktails with the product range of Villa Massa.
Villa Massa is the world’s leading brand for limoncello, so I was surprised to see it’s still made in a traditional fashion way. Yes, some machines are used for efficiency but when it comes to it’s resources, the lemons, Villa Massa goes out of it’s way to maintain quality and tradition. Each drop of Villa Massa is produced with organically grown ‘limone ovale di Sorrento’ lemon (an IGP-protected produce). The lemons are grown on terraces, with 2 meters space in between each tree, and without any artificial fertilisers. The fertile vulcanic ground, combined with lots of sun, produces enormous lemons, jam-packed with essiential oils.
After visiting the beautiful terraces, over-looking the bay of Sorrento, I lead a short workshop on highballs and long drink cocktails for an audience of press, hailing from Spain, Germany and Australia.
Besides work, there was jam-packed agenda full of nice events organized by Villa Massa. Such as a visit to the Villa Massa factory, a food workshop by a Michelin-starred chef, eating pizza in one the best pizzerias in all of Italy, a stay at a gorgeous cliffside hotel and making drinks on a vulcano. An unforgettable experience!