Parafante Liqueurs - Our story
Parafante Liqueurs was founded by proud Calabrese and Londoner Graziano Madeo and fellow drinks enthusiast Matthias Ingelmann with the aim of bringing a taste of Calabria to London. They set out to develop something new, exciting and quintessentially Italian, and soon the Parafante Fig Leaf Liqueur was born.
Calabria – the toe of Italy’s boot – is one of the country’s least well-known regions, but is home to some of its best produce and cuisine, famously bergamot (bitter citrus fruit found in perfumes and Earl Grey) and n’duja (spicy, spreadable sausage, pronounced un-doo-yah) but also sweet Tropea onions, lemons, olives, liquorice, chillies, figs (naturally!) and more.
By importing some of the best botanicals, fruit and herbs Calabria has to offer and using them to make small-batch, authentic liqueurs, Parafante aims to promote the Italian liqueur-drinking tradition to a London audience and to shine a light on the produce and culture of one of Italy’s best-kept secrets.
Parafante Fig Leaf Liqueur
Parafante Fig Leaf Liqueur is crafted from fig leaves, harvested and dried in the hills of Calabria, a southern region home to some of Italy’s finest produce and cuisine. These are then shipped to London, macerated, blended, and rested, and eventually mixed into a Fig Leaf Liqueur. Parafante Fig Leaf Liqueur has flavours of fig, coconut, green walnut and a hint of white chocolate. The liqueur is made for mixing but can also be enjoyed chilled and neat as an aperitif or digestif. It is the first launch in what will be a new range of modern liqueurs using Calabrian ingredients to create new exciting flavours.
Parafante’s story
Paolo “Parafante” Mancuso was a legendary brigand, born in the Calabrian province of Consenza in the late-eighteenth century, and one of thousands who took up arms during decades leading up to and immediately following Italian unification to defend the independence of the south.
Brigands – robbers who roamed the countryside targeting travellers – had been prevalent in Italy for centuries, but it was during the 19th century that brigandage transformed into a movement of popular unrest in the south against foreign rule, and later in the post-unification period, against institutions and policies imposed by the newly formed Italian government.
Today, brigands like Parafante are considered folk heroes by many southerners, and their stories are still told in Calabria and other southern regions such as Campania, Basilicata and Puglia. They remain important symbols of the proudly distinct history, heritage and culture of the Mezzogiorno – making Parafante the perfect choice for our name and logo.
Parafante Liqueurs - The team
Graziano Madeo -
Founder and Director
Graziano was born in the small town of Amendolara (‘village of the almonds’) in the north-east of Calabria and spent his childhood and teenage years eating and drinking the region’s traditional food and drink made by mamma and nonna. He moved to London in 2007 and has spent the last 14 years working in London’s restaurants and bars, but his dream has always been to start his own business that would support and promote his town and region.
Graziano can usually be found cooking, eating and drinking, and singing the praises of Italy in general and Calabria in particular to anyone who’ll listen.
Matthias Ingelmann -
Founder and Director
Matthias is originally from the north of Germany, but moved around a lot during his childhood and has lived in various places in Germany, as well as Switzerland and Italy. Matthias has spent the last few years working in some of the best restaurants and bars in Paris and London. He is very curious about new concepts and ideas and always on the lookout for new flavours, flavour combinations and interesting products.
If you don’t find him behind the bar mixing drinks, you'll see him running, reading or enjoying all things hospitality, from the neighborhood coffee shop to the Michelin star restaurant.