ONCE UPON A TIME

Located on Via Garibaldi, in the center of Forcoli, stands the headquarters of Liquorificio Morelli. In a short time — except during the war years — the commercial network expanded. From North to South, Morelli spirits began to delight the palates of Italians. The bottles, featuring imaginative labels, were selected and designed by Leonello himself, who showed an uncommon talent for advertising.

Liquorificio Morelli already boasted a well-stocked catalogue, with premium packaging and innovative products. But that’s not all: the company was already well structured.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Morelli had 25 employees and was one of the key economic driving forces of Forcoli. Leonello even became Mayor of the Municipality of Palaia, of which Forcoli is a district.
Meanwhile, the family was growing. His son Dante and his nephew Piero joined the company.

Leonello Morelli passes away. But already in the 1980s, Piero’s sons begin to take over: Luca, the eldest, then Paolo, and finally Marco in the 1990s.
Leonello’s great-grandchildren are swept up by the family passion and, at the same time, elevate it through an entrepreneurial approach suited to the times: greater quality, a more refined brand image, and a careful selection of clientele.
The national market expands, and international distribution begins. Morelli starts exporting throughout Europe and reaches countries such as China and the United States.

The big step: Morelli left its historic headquarters and inaugurated a new one, still close to the historic center of Forcoli, just 2 km away from the premises where Leonello began to build his entrepreneurial dream in the world of spirits.
Modernity and functionality are the key words that define the new spaces: 1,300 m² including production and storage areas, plus an additional 300 m² dedicated to offices, tasting rooms, and meeting rooms.

Liquorificio Morelli turns 100 and celebrates by thanking all those who helped the company grow. In front of its 100 candles, the wish is to achieve new milestones and conquer new challenges.

Liquorificio Morelli’s first participation in the Concours Mondial Spirits Selection de Bruxelles is an immediate success. At the world’s most important competition dedicated to wines and spirits, Morelli wins two gold medals and one silver with the three products presented to the jury.
But the awards don’t stop there.

An unprecedented double gold. Once again at the Concours, and once again with one of the company’s flagship products, the “50 e 50 Barrique” grappa — gold medal in 2012 and again the following year, in Taiwan, where the jury awarded a total of 60 gold medals to as many outstanding products. Of these, 12 went to Italy. Among the two won by Tuscany, one was awarded to the Morelli “50 e 50 Barrique” grappa.

Grappa Centenario wins the title of Best Gold at the National Grappa Tasters’ Competition organized by ANAG, together with Grappa 50/50 Riserva and Grappa Cru 98 Invecchiata, which both receive the title of Silver Medal.

Gold medals at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles are confirmed once again for “Limoncino Speciale 32°” and “Grappa Centenario.”
The Morelli Museum is born: 110 years of uninterrupted, vibrant history at the heart of a community that has bonded with the company to the point of merging with it.
In the Morelli family Museum, every object continues to live a story eager to be told.

Two new products come to life at Morelli: **Limoncino DiVino** and **Aromatic Gin**!
And the victories keep coming: **three gold medals in three different international competitions!**

The company becomes an LLC and shifts from a purely artisanal approach to a structured model of commercial growth.

It is the year of the pandemic. The company, in continuity with its previous management, does not stop for a single moment and becomes the first Italian liqueur producer ready to use its infusions to create alcohol-based hand sanitizing sprays with 70% alcohol.
More than 100,000 bottles are produced, and within 3 months the company donates these products to law enforcement, hospitals, and care homes, while also beginning a new commercial activity.

The year of recovery: the last echoes of the pandemic are fading, and a strong expansion of international trade begins again; new customers arrive, workloads increase, and new awards follow.