In good spirits: Distillery invites investors to ride limoncello wave
SA-based Ambra Distillery will let its customers buy shares in the brand as it gears up to ride the limoncello trend that has taken Australia by storm.
Ambra Distillery, which has been operating in Adelaide since 1998, is looking to expand on an already successful year, with its limoncello becoming a best seller in bars and restaurants across Australia.
Its products, including premium gins and liquors, are currently available at over 1,200 venues across Australia, up from only 50 just five years ago, with over 530,000 units sold in the past 12 months, representing year-on-year growth of 125 per cent.
Ambra hopes to continue this growth by expanding its existing distillery bar and restaurant, as well as continuing to invest in brand marketing and trade activations across Australia and beyond.
Ambra Distillery managing director and co-owner Finn Healey says that the limoncello industry is holding strong despite challenging economic conditions.
“People still want to celebrate the little things, and that’s where we come in,” he says.
He explains that the market for limoncello is better than ever, and Ambra Distillery is taking the opportunity to go all in.
The expansion of the Thebarton distillery bar and restaurant will take place right next door to the $1 billion Southwark development, which will see 1,300 new homes built in the area.
Ambra production director and co-owner Nando Focareta says the global demand for premium lemon aperitifs is exploding.
“This category is on a steep upward trajectory and now is the time for Australians to invest in a brand with unstoppable momentum,” Nando says.
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To meet that global demand, Ambra is already exploring opportunities across New Zealand, Europe, China and the US.
Ambra Distillery produces its award-winning limoncello using hand-peeled, South Australian-grown lemons steeped in a neutral spirit made from Barossa Valley grapes.
Finn says the brand started 27 years ago by retired Adelaide restauranteur Libero De Luca, who missed his favourite drink from the Amalfi Coast.
“Libero has since passed away, but I think he would be having a big chuckle with the big guy upstairs right now, seeing his humble recipe, still known by only two people, become one of the most fashionable drinks in Australia,” Finn says.
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