Joe Ferrando, a member of the Ferrando family of Cleveland, Ohio tells the story of how the family become the sole importer and distributor of beverages from Distilleria a’ Evangelista Liquori for two generations.

“My father, Mario Ferrando, was born in a small town named Forli del Sannio located in the Molise region of Italy. He was the second youngest of nine children. His hometown is not from where, in 1907, the mayor of a small mountain village first created the aromatic liquor called Punch Abruzzo.

The product was well known in the region and to our family but strict import regulations meant we could only have a bottle or two shipped to us every year or so and we cherished the dark, caramelized liquor with every sip.

Back in 2001, my father, my uncle (Anthony Ferrando), and I went to Italy for a 10-day adventure including a visit to Distilleria a’ Evangelista Liguori the distillery that produces many wonderful beverages, among them the delectable Punch Abruzzo. Being with two Italians fluent in the language meant we could enjoy amazing meals at family-owned restaurants off the beaten path. The adventure continued and took us to an obscure town on the Adriatic shoreline in the Abruzzi region called Chieti.

At the end of the day, we were salivating at the mere thought of being outside Distilleria a’ Evangelista the location where our beloved beverage is produced. While imagining the idea of seeing the birthplace of our favorite beverage, we ran into Mr. Claudio Cosanni, the CEO and husband of Mayor Evangelista’s daughter. We were wildly excited.

My father began speaking to Signore Cosanni as he was getting to his car and struck a chord with him that triggered typical Italian hospitality. Sudden, to our delight, we were invited inside! Claudio gave us a tour of the facility followed by a brief meeting in his office, where we started the ball rolling to bring our favorite liquor to the USA. It was the beginning stage of creating our distribution company, Ferrando a Forli.

We had no idea what the process was to import an alcoholic beverage into the U.S. My father spent nearly four years navigating through all the red tape to satisfy all the regulations. Finally, on February 9, 2005, we received the vital credentials to legally import and sell the luscious Punch Abruzzo here in America.

Sales were slow initially. I had my own career and helped my father out when I could. I wanted to see my father succeed with this product and all the other Evangelista products (Limoncello, Amaretto, Grappa...) With limited funds and the help of family friends, we developed our first website designed to promote the product and make purchasing it as easy as possible.

Antonio Evangelista, the highly respected mayor of the small Italian town of Borrello, Italy began preparing this flavorful drink heated in the fireplace, releasing an intense and intoxicating aroma. Neighbors smelled the wonderful aromas and started dropping in to taste the product. Guests came and were enchanted.

The constant demands for the drink, that was “magical” and “warmed even the soul,” led the Mayor to found the company that bears his name, Evangelista Liqueurs, in 1907 and sell the drink as Punch Abruzzo. It has been a hit ever since, recognized as an “Exceptional Liqueur” by the Beverage and Testing Institute of Chicago since 2006.