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What did you do before creating N.11 Gin? I live in Brenzone sul Garda, a small town in the northern part of Lake Garda, and I work at Ristorante alla Fassa with my partner’s family. Before N.11 there was the attentive silence of tasting. I lived for a long time in the world of wine, where you learn that every detail speaks: a scent, a temperature, a shadow in the glass. Then spirits arrived, and with them the desire to go beyond “good” and search for an identity. Not a product. A sign. What made you decide to create N.11 Gin, and what is the inspiration behind it? Some decisions don’t look like decisions: they find you. N.11 was born from the need to create something that carried a place inside it, not just a label. Brenzone sul Garda isn’t a point on a map: it’s a material—stone, wind, citrus, olive leaves. The inspiration is an interweaving of territory, ritual, and a personal passion for music. The same tension you feel right before a track begins: that moment when you know something is about to happen. What’s the meaning and story behind the N.11 brand? N.11 (No. 11) is a number that keeps coming back in my life, such as my date of birth - 11th November - and the month my children were born; so each new product is always launched on the 11th of the month. For me, 11 is a signal, an alignment, a threshold, and a sense of belonging. The logo was born from my fundamental number, combined with a passion I’ve carried with me for years: Marilyn Manson. It’s the union of my symbol with one of his. Not to quote but to leave a trace. Even the bottle follows the same rule: essential, elegant, almost perfume-like. Because what matters isn’t to shout. It’s to be remembered. Can you tell us more about the distillery you work with to produce N.11 Gin? I produce at a distillery of true excellence: Zona B di Lavagno distillery. But the part that really matters is something else: trust. Over time, with Alessandro, a relationship of friendship and mutual respect was born — something that, to me, is worth as much as technique. Because a spirit isn’t just a recipe: it’s a place, a hand, a shared vision. I chose a setup that gives me precision and repeatability, because ritual doesn’t allow distractions. Every batch has to be consistent with the promise. And yes: I taste and verify every batch personally. It’s my way of guarding the secret. Can you tell us more about your distillation process? The process is a conversation between botanicals. And like every real conversation, it doesn’t work if one voice overwhelms the others. For me, the London Dry style isn’t a label: it’s a statement. It means rigour, cleanliness, transparency. It means excellence, because it allows no shortcuts: everything has to be built in distillation, without masks. Juniper stays at the centre — always. Around it, Mediterranean notes that don’t chase special effects, but depth: olive leaves, bitter orange and lemon peels, rosemary. Technique, to me, is discipline: extracting without betraying, balancing without taming. The result must be clean, but with shadow. Clear, but not predictable. Can you visit the restaurant for a tasting of N.11 products? If there’s a place where N.11 truly lets itself be experienced, it’s Ristorante alla Fassa in Brenzone. There you can taste every product in the N.11drink line, and above all test their versatility: not only in the glass, but at the table. Pairings with local dishes become part of the experience — because taste, when it meets the right place, changes shape. It’s a concrete way to understand what “territory” means for N.11: not as a word, but as an encounter. What is your ambition for the N.11 brand in the years to come?
To grow without becoming loud. To bring N.11 into the right places — bars, restaurants, wine & spirits shops — where time still has value and service is an act, not a routine. And then to open the road outside Italy with the same care: Germany and Austria are important steps, and the United Kingdom — the homeland of gin — is a natural horizon. The ambition stays the same: to bring N.11 to those who choose it for what it is, without compromises. What are your favourite ways to drink N.11 Gin? My favourite way is the most direct: neat. That’s where you truly understand if a spirit can hold your gaze, without filters. And when I balance it, I choose a Mediterranean tonic: with N.11 something precise happens — the botanicals open up, amplify, and “explode” in a clean way, without covering the juniper. It’s a balance that stays with you. Desert Island Gins: Which 3 gins would you bring with you and why?
What’s next for you and N.11 — any exciting plans? For N.11, the future isn’t a race: it’s a sequence. New releases that respect the ritual of the 11th — and soon, the arrival of N.11 London Dry Gin 'Atto II' - another chapter, the same signature. And then projects designed for mixing — because some spirits aren’t born to stand still. And then there’s the most important part: the community. Building a small world around the brand, made of gestures, symbols, and belonging. Because N.11 isn’t just something to drink. It’s something to step into. You Might Also Like...
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