Perched 120 meters above the Ligurian coastline, the gardens of Casa Montefino feel like a hidden Mediterranean sanctuary. Gravelly terraced paths weave through fragrant thickets of rosemary, lemon, and juniper, their aromas carried by the breeze blown in from the sea. The terraces reveal glimpses of Portofino’s harbor on one side and the deep blue sea melting into an even bluer sky on the other, boats zipping across, white foam trailing in their wake. Flowers bloom alongside sculpted hedges, while ancient stone walls cradle groves of citrus trees. You don’t just walk through these gardens; you inhale them. This landscape is far more than a backdrop–it’s the botanical heart of Portofino Dry Gin.
You might expect inspiration for creating a gin would come from years behind the bar, from hospitality insiders drawing on deep industry knowledge forged through countless nights of mixing, tasting, and refining. But the gin’s founders chartered their own course, one born instead from a profound love of place. The story begins with Portofino itself, a passion project rooted in a shared affection for the tiny Ligurian village near Genoa. The spirit came right after.
Founders Alessandro Briola, Christopher Egger, and Ruggero Raymo owe their friendship to the seaside village, a bond that dates back to their childhood. Briola was born and raised in Portofino, while Raymo spent his summers there, in his mother’s hometown. He grew up in Geneva, Switzerland, where he and Egger met on the football field. Over the years, Portofino always brought the trio together, with Egger getting to know Briola during summer sojourns to visit Raymo.
At the heart of Portofino Dry Gin is Casa Montefino, the brand’s cornerstone and Raymo’s family home, acquired by his grandfather, local legend Klaus Pudel, in 1968. Reaching it was once an adventure in itself–the only way up the steep, winding path from the harbor was by donkey. These days, though, a discreet private elevator whisks visitors to the hilltop. The gin’s botanicals are a tribute to the garden’s bounty: flowers such as lavender, rose, and iris florals; citrus notes from lemon; and a mix of wild herbs like rosemary, sage, and marjoram, with juniper lending its signature piney flavour.
But Klaus Pudel’s influence doesn’t end with the villa. A beloved host and social fixture, he was one of the local figures who embodied Portofino’s la dolce vita—an age the trio often taps into. The bottle itself nods to that era: square-shaped like a vintage perfume bottle and rendered in a distinct shade of blue, the hue of Portofino’s shoreline, capturing both the elegance and the effortless glamour of the Riviera. It also happens to be the eponym for one of Portofino Dry Gin’s latest pursuits: Essentia Dolce Vita, a liquid garnish made in collaboration with Tuscany’s Podere Santa Bianca. This aromatic blend of lavender, bay leaf, marjoram, and citrus captures the sunny, fresh essence of Liguria. A spritz just before serving adds a bright, fragrant touch to any cocktail.
La Dolce Vita embodies both Portofino Dry Gin’s new ventures and its roots, a journey that began in 2017. Raymo and Egger came from sports and marketing backgrounds, respectively, while Briola helped run his family’s local businesses—the Hotel Nazionale and Restaurant Da Nicola in Portofino’s Piazzetta. United by their shared love of gin and Portofino, they set out to capture the essence of their hometown, starting with the botanicals growing in Casa Montefino’s nearly 12 hectares of gardens. The first small-batch release of 3,000 bottles debuted in 2019.
As Portofino Dry Gin evolved, so did its identity. To reflect this, the gin has unveiled a fresh new look, courtesy of the creative agency Robilant. The instantly recognizable bottle remains unchanged in shape, but the font has been updated from black to a crisp white, using a custom-made typography created for the restyling. The label’s colorful, illustrated panorama of Portofino village, with its green hills rising behind, is more nuanced in terms of texture and layers. It’s a scene brought to life by the village’s most distinctive characters, a visual tribute to the personalities and the surroundings that have helped shape Portofino’s timeless allure. As with the original design, when three bottles stand side by side, they form a seamless panorama—a work of art in its own right. The label is made entirely from cotton linters, and the capsule incorporates 35% PET plastic, building on a 2022 initiative that introduced a lighter-weight glass bottle.
In May 2024, Portofino Dry Gin released La Penisola, a limited release London Dry Gin created to further expand the brand’s storytelling and deepen the connection with loyal customers who appreciate the original expression. Designed as both a tribute to the landscape that inspired it and an invitation to explore a different aromatic profile, Portofino Dry Gin – La Penisola offers an alternative take on Portofino Dry Gin through a unique combination of botanicals and a distinctive London Dry distillation method. This process enhances the piney, juniper-forward character of the gin, which features sage, marjoram, lemon, grapefruit, mandarins, rose, bay leaf, maritime pine needles, rosemary, and, of course, juniper. Named after the narrow peninsula on the opposite side of the harbour, La Penisola is decorated with a label that captures the landscape it’s named after.
As for Casa Montefino, it’s not typically open to the public, but select guests are invited to tour its timeless grounds and enjoy cocktails crafted by brand ambassador Paolo Gastaldo, like the Portofino and Tonic, garnished with lemon peel and rosemary, or the zesty Basilico Smash with lemon juice and fresh agave nectar—a must for anyone chasing la dolce vita, Portofino-style.