From Lake Como to the world: How RIVO is redefining Italian spirits for global travellers

In 2016, two visionaries looked at Italy, a country synonymous with wine, aperitifs, and centuries-old traditions, and noticed something missing. Amid a global wave of craft spirits, Italy wasn’t on the gin map. That was the gap RIVO set out to fill. What began as a gut instinct quickly became a mission to create Italy’s first truly local craft gin, infused with botanicals and the essence of its land. “It was part dream, part strategy. We knew where we wanted to go, and we mapped out the steps to get there,” says Marco Rivolta, co-founder, RIVO.

Italy’s spirit scene has always been rich—vermouth, amaro, grappa, aperitivi—but gin was an untapped frontier. RIVO became the first in Italy to bring foraging, an ancient, nature-rooted practice, into the spirits world. They handpicked wild botanicals from the hills and shores of Lake Como. This approach gave the brand an unmistakable identity of being fresh, authentic, and deeply tied to place.

In today’s world, consumers aren’t just buying a drink, they’re buying into a story. For RIVO, storytelling is the backbone of the brand. Every sip carries the imagery of Lake Como, the scent of freshly foraged herbs, and the spirit of local life. “People want something real, something that’s not just inspired by a place, but actually is that place,” says Marco.

Partnerships that matter

RIVO’s growth has been fuelled by smart collaborations, from boutique hotels to local producers. Their aim is to be a brand that speaks equally to travellers and locals. While high-profile hotels and destination management companies have helped widen their reach, small, community-based spots have been just as important.

Authenticity is non-negotiable. “Collabs work best when you share values. When someone buys RIVO, they’re buying into our story, our family, our way of doing things,” Marco explains. One standout partnership was with Romanengo, Italy’s oldest confectionery, resulting in a special pack of chocolates infused with RIVO gin, a marriage of two heritage brands with the same ethos.

Breaking into the Travel & Tourism supply chain hasn’t been without challenges. In a ‘super noisy space’ where everyone’s fighting for attention, telling a deeper story can be hard. The trick was to create experiences so immersive, people remember them long after they leave.

From Bottle to experience

For RIVO, it’s never been just about pouring a drink. They’ve built multisensory experiences that immerse visitors in the spirit’s origins, from foraging tours that take guests into the wild to discover botanicals firsthand to hands-on distilling sessions that reconnect people with nature and heritage. “There’s a kind of wide-eyed wonder that’s really fun to engage with,” Marco says.

Even after travellers head home, RIVO keeps the connection alive through social media. Their feeds act as a window back to Lake Como, a reminder of joy, calm, and that family feeling visitors experienced. While they’ve explored tech like AR tours, the brand believes nothing can match being there in person.

RIVO has done more than make a great gin; it’s shifted how Italian spirits are seen globally. By weaving Italian terroir into gin, they’ve opened the door for innovation in a category steeped in tradition. “We took inspiration from abroad, but we’re building something that feels truly Italian,” Marco says.

Lessons from the tourism frontline

Working with SMEs in tourism has shown RIVO the magic of blending the old and the new, respecting heritage while giving it a fresh twist. This balance, they believe, is where the real magic happens.

Instead of chasing every new opportunity, RIVO is doubling down on deepening existing partnerships. “We want to grow in a solid, sustainable way, with people who really get us,” Marco says.

RIVO’s story is a reminder that innovation doesn’t always mean reinventing the wheel; sometimes, it means walking into the hills, picking what nature offers, and distilling it into something the world has never tasted before. In a marketplace drowning in noise, authenticity speaks the loudest. And RIVO is proving that when you bottle a true sense of place, the world will drink it in.

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