The Bar Journal

London, 9th November 2026: Emporia Brands, the family-owned, three-time IWSC Spirits Distributor of the Year, has been appointed exclusive UK distributor of SAVOIA Vino Aperitivo, the independent Italian aperitivo house created by Giuseppe Gallo. The partnership takes effect immediately and covers the full SAVOIA vermouth range, SAVOIA Rosso and SAVOIA Orancio, with a focused programme for the UK on-trade and premium consumer retail outlets.

The deal brings together one of the most respected names in global drinks and one of the UK’s most decorated independent distributors. Emporia will lead importing, sales and distribution through its national network of wholesalers and on-trade hospitality partners, backed by bartender engagement, training, menu development and on-trade activations. ItalSpirits will continue to lead brand strategy and advocacy, working alongside the Emporia Brands team on education across the UK bar community.

A bartender’s brand, built by a bartender.

SAVOIA is the work of Giuseppe Gallo, who began his career behind London’s bars before becoming Global Brand Ambassador for Martini & Rossi, where he helped shape the modern vermouth category. He founded ItalSpirits in 2015 and went on to create ITALICUS Rosolio di Bergamotto, reviving a forgotten Italian liqueur style and taking it onto back bars around the world. He also co-founded the Roma Bar Show and, in 2026, Barcelona Cocktail Fest.

SAVOIA, launched in 2021, applies the same thinking to vermouth: Italian heritage, unique Italian design and serves made for the modern craft cocktail bar. Inspired by the House of Savoy and carrying the motto L’Aperitivo dell’Italia Unita, the range is certified vegan vermouth, made in Italy from selected botanicals, wine and bitters:

• SAVOIA Rosso (18.6% ABV): a bittersweet, amaro-dolce vino aperitivo made with more than 22 botanicals and 14-month oak-aged Marsala wine, built for the Negroni, the Americano and the Spritz.
• SAVOIA Orancio (17.2% ABV): a vino aperitivo made with orange wine, bringing a bright, aromatic twist to the Spritz and the Negroni.

SAVOIA was named World’s Best Aperitif at the World Liqueur Awards 2025 and won Gold at The Spirits Business Global Low & No Masters 2026. Its bottle, designed by Stranger & Stranger and inspired by Turin’s Mole Antonelliana, has collected multiple international design awards.

The partnership arrives as bitter and aperitivo serves continue to grow on UK menus, and as venues look for premium, versatile products that work across classic and lower-alcohol drinks. Supported by Emporia’s sales and advocacy teams, SAVOIA will focus on cocktail bars, Italian restaurants and premium hospitality groups, with bartender training, menu development and trade activation.

SAVOIA already has a strong presence in some of the UK’s leading bars and hotels, including the Connaught Bar. Rosso and Orancio now feature across all three bars at Claridge’s, and in cocktails at Firmdale Hotels’ Covent Garden Hotel and Soho Hotel. At Gong Bar at Shangri-La The Shard, SAVOIA is on the Golden Hour menu, with a new SAVOIA cocktail launching on the festive menu on 9th November, while Nightcap serves a SAVOIA cocktail across 14 of its sites.

“SAVOIA was born in the bar, and the bar is where it belongs,” said Giuseppe Gallo, Founder and CEO of SAVOIA. “I’ve known the Emporia family since my early days behind the bar in London in 2005, and I know how they build brands: patiently, independently and with real care for the people who serve them. They understand that an aperitivo is a ritual before it is a product. With their reach and our passion for Italian drinking culture, now is the moment to take SAVOIA to the next step nationally in the UK.”

“Giuseppe is one of the most influential figures in modern Italian drinks,” said Jack Rackham, Managing Director of Emporia Brands. “What he did with ITALICUS changed how the trade thinks about Italian liqueurs, and SAVOIA has the same quality and the same story behind it. Bartenders want aperitivo serves with genuine heritage, and with Rosso and Orancio, SAVOIA gives venues a range for every occasion. We’re proud to welcome it to our portfolio and to build it with the on-trade.”

SAVOIA is available to the UK trade through Emporia Brands and its wholesale partners now. For trade enquiries and wholesaler information, contact Emporia Brands at info@emporiabrands.com. For brand enquiries, contact SAVOIA at contact@italspirits.com.