Pisticci, Basilicata, 1894. The time and place of the first chapter in the story of Amaro Lucano. In his small biscuit factory, Pasquale Vena experimented and created Amaro Lucano. Still a secret recipe, made with herbs (wormwood, Roman wormwood, clary sage, musk yarrow, sweet orange, gentian, and others), and which brought the rise of a leading business in the Italian spirits market. In the 1950s, after the interruption of activities due to World War 2, the founder's sons Leonardo and Giuseppe upgraded the workshop into a modern facility. In the 1960s production increased significantly and Amaro Lucano became known and appreciated worldwide. With time Sambuca, Limoncello and Caffè were added, products promoted with commitment by the founder's grandson Pasquale Vena, his wife and two children. At the end of 2014 Campari sold Limoncetta of Sorrento (which had joined the Campari group when it acquired the Averna brand) to Amaro Lucano although the liqueur is still bottled by Campari.
