Bràulio

Our itinerary through the flavours and fragrances of the Valtellina ends in Bormio, a well known mountain tourist resort located in the Stelvio National Park.

The production of Bràulio, a legendary bitter aged in enormous Slavonian oak barrels stored in the fascinating cellars beneath the old town centre of Bormio, is closely linked to the history of the place.

It first came to light here 140 years ago and owes its name to Monte Bràulio, which surrounds the Bormio basin, but its origins lie in the pharmacy of Doctor Giuseppe Peloni and the passion for aromatic herbs of his son Francesco, who, after various experiments, created it in 1875, but refused to reveal which and how many herbs he had used.

This mystery has never been fully unravelled, not even by his descendants. In fact all we know today is that Bràulio's ingredients include various medicinal plants (including juniper berries, wormwood and gentian roots), but its full formula still eludes us. 

At the moment, there are two products that are most appreciated in Valtellina: Amaro Bràulio classico with its unmistakable pungent aroma and Amaro Bràulio Riserva, which is filtered using a very delicate method that brings out the aroma of the herbs even more, but is available in very limited quantities only.